





























TL 208 
.H6 

Copy 1 


IINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


BY P. T. HINES 

Editorial Assistant 
The Progressive Farmer 


ILLUSTRATED 


The Progressive Farmer Company 

PUBLISHERS 

Raleigh, N. C., Birmingham, Ala., Memphis, Tenn., Dallas, Tex. 




\ 



b 


Fig. 1.—SECTIONAL VIEW OF A MODERN AUTOMOBILE 













This Book is Dedicated 
To 

THE MAN OF AVERAGE MEANS 


Who is Able to Own and Operate an Automobile 
Only by Strict Economy, in the Hope That 
It Will Enable Him to Get Better Ser¬ 
vice and More Pleasure From His 
Car With the Least Possible 
Outlay of Money 


Copyright, 1918 

By 

The Progressive Farmer Company 


NOV i I tdiB 


©Cl. A 5 0 652 7 
Sm? » Ij 


PREFACE. 


HE automobile has done much to smooth the rough 



road of life, especially country life. It has enabled the 
farmer to keep in closer touch with his neighbors both 
socially and agriculturally; and has also brought to the 
farmyard gate everything of worth in the city, while none 
of the country’s freedom, peace, quiet, or wholesomeness 
has been sacrificed. It has made possible the speedy dispatch 
of pressing business, and has simplified many perplexing- 
problems of farm marketing. 

And modern methods of manufacturing automobiles in 
quantity have so reduced the price of cars that many people 
now own machines who a few years ago dared not even 
dream of such a possibility. They now find the ownership 
of a car not only possible but profitable. 

In a large number of cases, however, the knowledge 
of automobile mechanics has not kept pace with the sale 
of cars—and even the literature furnished with machines 
by manufacturers is often thrown away without being mas¬ 
tered. It is with the belief that there is need for a simple, 
easily-understood automobile book therefore that this vol¬ 
ume has been written; and it is sent out with the hope that 
it will meet the needs of the automobile owner of average 


means. 


P. T. HINES. 


6 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CONTENTS. 

Chapter Page 

I—Advice to the Purchaser of a New Car- 7 

IX— Gaining Confidence in Yourself and Your Car— 10 

III— (Why a Motor Runs- 15 

IV— Carburetors and Their Troubles- 18 

V—Vacuum Fuel Feeds- 22 

VI—How to Grind and Time Valves- 27 

VII—Sources of Current for Ignition- 31 

VIII—Caring for Spark Coils and Vibrators- 35 

IX—Locating Spark Plug and Engine Wiring Troubles 37 

X— Keeping the Motor Lubricated-^- 40 

XI—Lengthening the Life of Bearings--- 44 

XII—How to Treat the Clutch_ 49 

XIII— Making the Gear Shifts Right- 52 

XIV— How Differentials Work_ 59 

XV—Caring For Starting and Lighting Systems_ 61 

XVI—How to Use and Care For Brakes___ 65 

XVII—How to Save Tire Money_ 69 

XVIII—Keeping Down the Gasoline Bill_- 72 

XIX—iCaring For Your Automobile in Summer_ 74 

XX—Caring for Your Automobile in Winter_ 76 

XXI—Worth-while Accessories_ 79 

XXII—Keeping the Car “Like New”_ 82 

XXIII—Car Care in a Nutshell_ 84 

XXIV—What to Look For in Case of Trouble_ 91 
























HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


7 


CHAPTER I. 


Advice to the Purchaser of a New Car 


W HEN a man buys a new automobile the salesman us¬ 
ually teaches him the things it is necessary to know 
in order to get the car going, and then gives him certain 
books of instruction to take care of the other essential points 
of operation and care. 


The average man remembers enough of the salesman's 
instructions to get the car home. In fact, he usually gets 
along so well in making this trip that he forgets about the 
instruction book altogether. Everything goes nicely for 
awhile and then he wonders why his car suddenly gives 
so much trouble. 


Do not make this mistake. There is no book printed, 
no matter how complete, that will take the place of the 
instruction book of your particular car; and if you wish to 
get the best possible service from your automobile, you 
will diligently study what the makers say about caring for it. 
Books are to supplement and clarify things treated in instruc¬ 
tion booklets—not to take the place of them. And if any auto¬ 
mobile owner who has not mastered the instruction book¬ 
let of his particular car starts to read this book, I hope 
he will stop here, get a copy of such instructions, and mas¬ 
ter them. If the booklet that came with your car has been 
lost, worn out by being kept in the tool box, or if certain 
pages of it have been torn out, a new copy may be obtained 
either by writing the dealer or the manufacturer. 

In his instruction book the car owner will find informa¬ 
tion about lubrication, specifying certain kinds of oils for 


s HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 

various parts; instructions for carbureter adjustments; the 
care of the cooling system; and the adjustment of bearings. 
And no matter how much you know about these subjects, 
you do not know as much as the experts who are employed 
by the manufacturer of your car and who have given you 
rules to go by in the form of an instruction book. 

Probably 90 per cent of the complaints that come to 
automobile salesmen are due to ignorance on the part of 
the car owner; and this ignorance is in turn due to a lack 
of study of automobile construction, principles of operation 
and the problem of intelligent care. 

Nor should the driver feel that the speed at which he runs 
his car should be increased with his experience. Fast driving 
does not mean good driving but usually indicates just the op¬ 
posite. People should be especially careful when driving on 
crowded city streets or on roads where there is a great- deal 
of traffic. Under such conditions, the speed of a car should 
never be so great that it could not be stopped within a very 
few feet. 

Of course, on good country roads where there are no 
crossings, little travel, and one can see ahead, a car may be 
driven at a greater speed than on city streets. But even under 
such conditions, fast driving is imprudent as well as unec¬ 
onomical. One will get most miles for the least money spent 
by keeping the speed limit around 15 to 20 miles an hour. 

When driving in town, one should always keep to the 
right—and this applies when turning corners. There is a 
tendency on the part of most drivers to “cut corners” and 
turn on the left-hand side of the center of street intersections. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


9 


If there is a building near 
such a corner and a driver 
gets on the wrong side in 
his haste, there is likely to 
be a head-on collision with 
an unseen car coming in 
the opposite direction. (Fig. 
( 2 ). Remember, however, 
the one exception to the 
“Keep to the Right” rule. The exception is when one overtakes 
and passes another car, when he should drive to the left. 

Most states, by law, now compel automobile owners to 
equip their cars with “anti-glare” headlights to make night 
driving less dangerous. When two cars are approaching each 
other at night, the glare of undiffused light is blinding to 
each driver and there is danger of having a serious accident. 
Even the new lenses automobile owners are forced to place in 
their headlights do not entirely eliminate the danger and it 
is a fine act of courtesy on the part of drivers to dim their 
lights when approaching each other; and it is also a “safety- 
first” measure. 


J L 



B - c _ 


Fig. 2. 

(a) Shows Proper Way to Turn to 
right; (b) Right Way to Turn 
to Left; and (c) Wrong Way to 
Turn to Left. 









10 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER II 

Gaining Confidence In Yourself and Your Car 

T HE basis of confidence is knowledge. The person who 
can go before a big audience and play a piano, sing a 
song, or make a speech, or act a part in a play without a 
tremor, is a person who knows what he or she is to do— 
a master! The person who takes the driver’s seat in an au¬ 
tomobile with perfect confidence therefore is one who knows 
something about a car—knows its make-up and how it should 
be operated and cared for. 

The first thing to study is the car itseif. Learn whac every 
part is for and then how to care for that part. Learn the 
care of the gasoline system, the transmission system, the pow¬ 
er system, the lubricating system, the cooling system, the 
tires, the wheel bearings, and all the other parts and individual 
units of these various systems. 

Being prepared for an emergency also gives one confi¬ 
dence. If you have extra tires and inner tubes along, you do 
not worry about having a puncture or a blow-out. In the 
same way you do not fear ignition trouble if you have spare 
spark plugs; or about the motor getting out of oil if you in¬ 
spected it before you started on your trip and also have a spare 
can of oil in the tool box. 

You can have much more confidence in a car cared for 
by yourself altogether than you can in one that is operated by 
Tom, Dick and Harry. When you depend on yourself alone, 
you know what kind of inner tubes are inside the casings and 
whether or not they are well dusted with powdered soap¬ 
stone. You know whether or not the right kind of oil is 
being used in the transmission case. You know whether or 
not the lubricating system has been cleaned out recently. You 













o 

O 

u 

c& 

O 

u 

O 

-M 

o 

§ 

o 


T3 

o3 


£ w 

o M 

U O 

I S 

o 

H 

P 

< 

£ 

<A 

W 

Q 

O 

§ 

< 

o 


ai 

>—I 

m 

w 

< 

E 

o 


ro 


bo 
• *—1 











































12 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


know whether or not the gasoline tank has been kept free 
from sediment. You know whether or not the carburetor is 
adjusted for most economical operation, and so on. Until a 
driver knows these things, he cannot have absolute confidence 
in the car he is driving nor in his ability to take the car out on 
the road and get back home with it again. Every noise startles 
him and he wonders if everything is in good shape. 

Confidence in driving a car—the belief that one can con¬ 
trol it under all circumstances—comes from constant and 
painstaking practice and in the very beginning a driver should 
determine to become not merely an ordinary automobile driver, 
but a super-driver. Even if you think you are a good driver, 
it will pay to go back to the most simple fundamentals and 
make sure of every step. 

A good place to learn to drive a car is in an open, firm, 
level field of two or three acres extent. With such a field, 
one may start a car without being afraid of running into some¬ 
thing in a moment of excitement. 

The first lesson to learn is to keep cool. Don’t get ex¬ 
cited, for if you do, you are almost sure to get into trouble. 
Mastery of a car comes by going slowly and learning lessons 
well. Being sure of yourself will prevent excitement. 

We will presume that you have your car in an open field 
ready to begin learning. Now then, after being sure that oil, 
water, and gasoline are in the right places, get your instruc¬ 
tion book and turn to the place telling how to start your par¬ 
ticular make of car. 

First learn how to start the motor. The spark lever should 
be in retard when starting the engine, and advanced while run¬ 
ning. It is usually necessary to set the throttle well open when 
starting. When the throttle and spark levers have been set, 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


13 


the switch should be thrown in and the motor is then ready 
to be cranked either by hand or self-starter. 

When the motor starts, do not allow it to race, but close 
the throttle until it is running at a moderate speed. Start the 
motor several times and try to develop a method of starting 
that will be quiet. If the engine starts with too much vim the 
first time, start it with less throttle-opening the next time. 

Gear shifting is quite an art in itself and it will require 
much practice to master it. The ideal way to shift gears is 
to m,\ke the changes when the meshing gears are running in 
proper ratio to each other. If this is done, engagement will 
be made without noise. 

In changing from a lower to a higher gear therefore, it 
will be well to speed up the engine a little just before disengag¬ 
ing the clutch for the change and let the car gain considerable 
momentum. Then push in the clutch, hesitate a moment, and 
make the change to the higher gear while the car is moving 
rapidly ahead and the clutch turning slowly. With a little 
practice in this particular, you will soon be able to shift gears 
without any grinding noise whatever. 

When starting from a standstill, however, the engine 
should be running slowly. Let in the clutch gradually and if 
the engine slows, slightly increase the amount of gasoline fed. 
Don’t let the motor be running like a race-horse and then drop 
the clutch back suddenly. .Practice starting slowly and gently 
for awhile and you will not be annoyed by having your car 
try to jump from under you when starting to leave town or 
the church. 

Also use as much care in stopping as you do in starting. 
Never jam the brakes (except in case of an emergency) but 
apply them gradually. Begin to stop some distance from the 


14 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


‘‘stopping place” and you won’t have to use the brakes very 
much. 

Learn carefully the lesson of controlling your car, and 
you will find that your confidence will grow with your knowl¬ 
edge of automobile mechanics. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


15 


CHAPTER III 
Why a Motor Runs 

T HE principle on which gasoline engine operation is based 
is the same as that of a gun. That is, power is obtain¬ 
ed by rapid combustion, or explosions, acting in one case on a 
bullet or a charge of shot and in the other case on a movable 
piston. 

The first operation in firing a gun or securing an explos¬ 
ion in an engine cylinder is to fill the combustion space with 
combustible material; the second operation is to compress this 
material; while the third operation is to ignite it. 

In the case of the gun, the charge will be driven from 
the barrel, while in an engine the piston will be driven toward 
the open end of the cylinder. The gun is automatically cleared 
of burnt gases as the charge leaves the barrel, while the engine 
cylinder is cleared by the opening of the exhaust valve through 
which the burnt gases are forced out by the return stroke of 
the piston. 

From the foregoing it will be seen that the piston has 
four distinct movements: (1) down stroke or intake; (2) up¬ 
stroke or compression; (3) down-stroke or power-stroke; and 
(4) up-stroke or exhaust.This gives one power stroke from 
each cylinder for every two revolutions—a four cylinder en¬ 
gine delivering a power stroke every half revolution of the 
crankshaft. 

An engine of this type is called “four-cycle” and the 
operation will be readily understood by referring to the illus¬ 
tration (Fig. 4). The term “four-cycle” is really misleading, as 
a cycle signifies an orb or circle. The term “cycle,” however, 
as applied to gasoline engines, refers to the movement of the 
piston, there being, as we have already learned, four move- 


16 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


ments of the piston to every complete function of the engine— 
two upward and two downward. 

Pistons are connected to the engine crankshaft in pairs. 
That is, in a four-cylinder engine two pistons are always mov¬ 
ing opposite the other two. When Nos. 1 and 4 are going 
down, Nos. 2 and 3 are coming up, and vice versa. 

A flywheel is used to store up energy during explosions 
and deliver it back to the crankshaft between explosions. This 
gives a fairly smooth and even delivery of power at all times. 

As the piston C (Fig. 4) moves .downward on its first 


stroke, the cam A raises the 
valve in the intake manifold B 
(which is connected direct to 
the carburetor, though not 
shown in the drawing) and 
the moving piston draws a cur¬ 
rent of air through the carbm 
retor, past the spray nozzle 
where it takes up a charge of 
gasoline and on into the cylin¬ 
der of the motor. 

Then the piston moves up¬ 
ward with both intake valve B 
and exhaust valve E closed. 
This is the compression stroke 
which drives the mixture of 
air and gasoline into a small 
space in the upper part of 
the cylinder. 

As the piston nears the 
top of its compression stroke, 
the ignition system of the 
motor sends an electric spark 































HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


17 


through the sqark plug D and ignites the gas. The gas then 
expands because of combustion and drives the piston again 
downward on what is called the power stroke. 

After this comes the upward stroke, with exhaust valve E 
open, driving out the burned gas and preparing the cylinder 
to again repeat these operations. 

In trying to locate automobile troubles, these four points 
should always be kept in mind : 

1. The motor must get a proper mixture of air and gas¬ 
oline. 

2. This mixture must be well compressed. 

3. It must be ignited at the proper time. 

4. The burnt gas must be expelled at the right instant. 

If these four conditions are met, an engine will run; if 

one essential is lacking it will refuse to operate. 


18 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER IV 

Carburetors and Their Troubles 

HAT is a carburetor ? It is a device for mixing liquid 
fuel and air in such proportions that the mixture will 
be readily ignited—“catch fire”—from an electric spark. You 
may pour gasoline or kerosene on a board and ignite it with a 
match but it will burn very slowly for the reason that it mixes 
with the air very slowly. 

In fact, all combustion is rapid or slow in direct ratio to 
the rapidity with which the carbon of any fuel mixes with air. 
In the stove, for example, the fire may be controlled by regu¬ 
lating the draft; the finer the wood is split the more rapidly 
it burns; and it is reason¬ 
able to believe that if light 
dry wood — which means 
wood of high carbon con¬ 
tent—were shredded fine 
enough and held loosely 
apart so that the proper 
amount of air would be 
among the particles, it 
would burn almost rapidly 
enough to approach an ex¬ 
plosion. 

Gunpowder is an ex¬ 
ample of the proper mix¬ 
tures of the elements neces¬ 
sary to rapid combustion, 
for when a spark is intro¬ 
duced, the combustion is in- 


















HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


19 


stantaneous. The secret of the rapidity is that the elements 
necessary to combustion are well mixed when they ignite or 
“catch fire” and therefore burn at once instead of by piecemeal. 

A carburetor therefore is a device for mixing two elements, 
neither of which will burn alone, in such proportions that they 
will burn very rapidly or explode when ignited. 

The illustration herewith shows the almost universally used 
feed-type carburetor. Through the gasoline feed pipe A the 
gasoline from the fuel tank runs by gravity into the bowl of the 
carburetor until the float C raises the needle valve and cuts off 
the flow of fuel at D. As the pistons of a motor travel down¬ 
ward, they create a vacuum in the cylinders, causing air to rush 
to them through the air inlet E. As the air passes the needle 
valve F it becomes saturated with gasoline vapor—the raw gas¬ 
oline being drawn out in a mist or fog by the suction—and 
gasoline and air are converted into what is called “gas.” 

The efficiency of the carburetor depends wholly on the 
kind of gas mixture it delivers to the cylinders. There is 
some question as to what constitutes the best mixture, and 
every car operator must determine just what mixture best 
suits his car. A gas mixture is considered explosive when 
1 part fuel is mixed with from 4 to 18 parts of air. 
The fact is, however, that a l-to-4 mixture is much too rich, 
while a l-to-18 mixture is much too lean for positive igni¬ 
tion. 

A rich mixture should be avoided because the excess fuel 
used will deposit carbon on the piston and cylinder walls as 
well as the valves and thus tend to overheat the motor. A 
rich mixture will also not give a flexible and responsive en¬ 
gine. A rich mixture may be readily discovered by black 


20 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


smoke coming from the muffler, while if the mixture con¬ 
tains too much air, there will be popping sounds in the car¬ 
buretor or muffler, which is commonly termed “back-firing.” 

Adjusting the carburetor is not a difficult matter when 
the purposes of the various control members are understood. 
The first thing to do is to start the motor and open the 
throttle enough for the engine to run at a fairly good speed. 
When it becomes necessary to adjust the carburetor cut down 
the gasoline flow by gradually screwing down the needle 
valve until the motor begins to run irregularly or misfire. 
When the motor begins to misfire, unscrew the needle valve 
till the motor reaches its highest speed. When this adjustment 
is secured, lock the needle valve in place, with the lock-nut 
which is usually provided. 

Perhaps the most frequent carburetor trouble is the accu¬ 
mulation of dirt or other foreign matter at the inlet needle 
valve D shown in Figure 5. This foreign matter will often 
collect and prevent the needle from seating properly. The 
flow of gasoline will therefore not be stopped and the level 
in the carburetor bowl will consequently get so high that it 
will flow out past the needle valve F even without any suc¬ 
tion from the engine. This will cause flooding and the en¬ 
gine will “choke down” if the flow is very free. When the 
engine is stopped the flow will continue and there will be a 
big loss in gasoline from this leakage if the trouble is not 
remedied. Sometimes the foreign matter can be dislodged by 
tapping the carburetor and jarring it slightly or by speeding 
up the engine. If this does not remedy the trouble, discon¬ 
nect the inlet pipe and thoroughly clean the needle and its 
seat. Sometimes the trouble is caused by a worn needle 
valve, and when this is the case a new one should be pur- 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK H 

chased or the old one ground to a seat by the use of fine grind¬ 
stone or emery dust. 

Lack of gasoline may be caused by a clogged fuel pipe 
leading from the gasoline supply tank to the carburetor or 
by foreign matter collecting in the needle valve passage at F. 
The gasoline pipe must usually be unstopped by disconnect¬ 
ing it at both the carburetor and fuel tank and thoroughly 
washing it out, while the clogged needle valve may usually 
be unstopped by slightly opening the needle valve and speed¬ 
ing up the engine until the foreign matter has been sucked 
out. 

The floats used in carburetors are made either of hollow 
metal or of cork. These may cause flooding when the former 
becomes punctured or the latter oil-soaked. The remedy is 
to solder the puncture in the metal float or remove the cork 
float, dry it in the sun, and give it a light coat of shellac. 

Air leaks about the carburetor, intake manifold, cylin¬ 
der head, spark plugs or priming valves will also cause a 
poor mixture to be delivered to the cylinders. In fact, if ad¬ 
ditional air is introduced into the mixture in any way after 
it leaves the carburetor, it will cause a weak mixture to be 
delivered to the cylinder. Therefore, keep good gaskets be¬ 
tween all connections as well as keep the connections them¬ 
selves tight. 


22 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER V 
Vacuum Fuel Feeds 

O N CARS that have vacuum fuel feed two gasoline tanks 
are placed. One tank, the storage tank, is placed some¬ 
where on the car chassis and the other tank, the vacuum 
tank, is placed on the dash of the car under the hood. The 
vacuum tank is connected to the main supply tank by a cop¬ 
per tube, the connection being shown in Figure 6 at the place 
marked D. Then another copper tube is run from C in the 
same diagram to the intake manifold of the engine. 

We now will assume that the main gasoline supply tank 
is full of gasoline but that the vacuum tank is empty. How 
will the fuel get to the vacuum tank and thus to the carbure¬ 
tor—for the vacuum tank is higher than the supply tank and 
neither water nor gasoline will voluntarily run up hill ? 

It works this way. If there is no gasoline in the vacuum 
tank it is evident that the float G (Fig. 6.) will drop down 
toward the bottom of the “upper chamber” of the vacuum 
tank. When this is done the opening marked “air vent” will 
be automatically closed by the valve B which will be 
forced in the opening R or the outlet to the air vent. Now, 
if you crank your engine, the pistons will draw the air out of 
the upper chamber of the vacuum tank through the tube 
C. There is always an atmospheric pressure of approxi¬ 
mately 15 pounds to the square inch at sea level, and as the 
main gasoline supply tank is ventilated or has an air opening, 
the air will virtually “push” the gasoline out of the supply 
tank up hill to the vacuum tank where the air has been re¬ 
moved and there is no resistance to its flow. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 



Fig. 6.—VACUUM TANK 

A—Suction Valve; B—Atmospheric Valve; C—Pipe to Suction Yorke; D—Pipe 
to Main Tank; E—Valve Lever (long); F—Valve Lever (short); G— 
Float; H—Flapper Valve; J—Drain Plug (omitted on some tanks); K— 
Pipe to Carburetor; L—Air Passage; M—Float Guide; R—Air Vent; 
S—Valve Springs; T—Flapper Valve Housing; W—Priming Plug. 


When the lower chamber has received its normal sup¬ 
ply of gasoline and the upper chamber begins to fill, the float is 
raised by the incoming gasoline until the air vent is opened 
by the valve B, thus breaking the vacuum and stopping the 
flow of gasoline. When the gasoline is used out of the upper 
chamber again, the float valve drops, the air vent is closed, 










































24 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


a vacuum is again formed and the tank is filled once more. 
And so on. 

The vacuum fuel system rarely gives trouble and when 
m good shape is, positive in its action. The main thing is in 
keeping both the main tank and the vacuum tank clean and 
free from sediment. For this reason, gasoline should be 
strained as it is put in the gasoline supply tank; and it will 
be well to clean the tanks themselves once for every 2,500 
miles a car is run. 

To clean the vacuum tank, remove the pipe line to the 
carburetor and the priming plug W at the top of the tank 
as well as the drain plug J at bottom of the tank and flush 
out with gasoline. The main gasoline supply tank may be 
cleaned by removing the drain plug and drawing off all gaso¬ 
line. Strain the gas through a chamois skin when replacing. 

If the tank fails to supply gasoline at high speed, be sure 
that the tubing connections are tight and that none are bent 
or partly stopped up. If gasoline is not supplied at anv 
speed, carry out the suggestions already given and if the 
trouble is not remedied, look for the following things: 

Leaky Float. Remove the top of the tank by taking out 
the screws and running a thin-bladed knife carefully around 
the top between cover and tank so as to separate the shellaced 
gasket without damaging it. The float, which is attached 
to the top of the tank, should then be dipped in a pail of hot 
water to find if .there is a leak. If a leak is found, punch 
two small holes in the float —one at the bottom and one 
m the top—so that the gasoline in the float may be drained 
cut. Then solder up these holes and the leak, after which 
test again by dipping in hot water. If no bubbles are seen the 
float is air-tight. In soldering the float, use as little metal as 
possible as too much will make it heavy. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


25 


In working with the float, be careful not to bend the 
guide rod M, as this will retard the action of the float by 
hanging in the guide, thus producing the same effect as a 
leaky float—both of which allow gasoline to enter the engine 
manifold through the opening C. 

Defective Flapper Valve .—A vacuum tank can be kept 
from working by a small particle of dirt getting in the flap¬ 
per valve H. In order to tell whether the flapper valve is 
defective, first plug up the air vent. Then detach tubing from 
bottom of the tank, start the motor and apply the finger at 
the opening in the bottom of the tank. If suction is felt con¬ 
tinuously, it is evident that there is a leak in the connection 
between the tank and the main gasoline supply o! else the 
flapper valve is being held off its seat and is letting air into 
the tank instead of gasoline. This valve may usually be freed 
of dirt by smartly tapping the tank. If this is not effective, 
the valve may be inspected by first removing the tank top 
and the taking out the inner tank. 

Vent Tube Overflow .-—The vent tube allows atmospheric 
pressure to be maintained in the lower chamber at all times 
and also serves to prevent the overflow of gasoline in going 
down steep grades. If a little gasoline occasionally escapes 
through this tube, no harm will be done, and one should not 
worry about it. If, however, the tube overflows regularly, 
the air hole in the main tank filler cap is likely to be stopped 
up. 

Leaky Valves .—Leaky valves in a vacuum tank will cause 
an engine to get too much gasoline on a heavy pull. Test 
valves by connecting up a bottle as shown in Fig. 7. Use rub- 


26 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


RUBBER TUBINB 


ber tubing heavy enough 
not to collapse under suc¬ 
tion and be sure that all 
connections are air tight. 
This may be assured by 
pouring melted wax around 
Fig. 7- testing FOiR lfaky valves them. When the engine is 
run, gasoline will collect in the bottle if the valves are leaky. 















HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


27 


CHAPTER VI 
How to Grind and Time Valves 

W HEN an engine has been in use for some time, the 
valves usually get leaky, especially the exhaust valves 
through which the hot, burnt gases pass, and the engine will 
not deliver its full power. The reason for this is that the sur¬ 
face of the valves and valve-seats become rough and pitted; 
and the only way to restore them to their original snug fit is 
to grind off this roughness and make them smooth once more. 

The first step in valve grinding, of course, is to get to 
the valves. In a great many motors the whole set of valves 
may be exposed by removing the cylinder head, while others 
are reached by removing screw-plugs, slightly larger than the 
valve-heads, which are placed over each valve. 

After valve-heads have been exposed, go about the grind¬ 
ing in a methodical way. Select the valve you will grind first, 
remove the spring which holds it in place, take out the valve 
itself, and you are ready to begin the grinding. 

It is usually best to buy a grinding compound from your 
local garage, or you may go to your hardware store, buy 
some medium and fine emery dust, and use this mixed with 
oil or lard. This abrasive is smeared on the part of the valve 
to be ground and the valve then slipped back into its seat. 
It is then turned in its seat with an oscillating motion, either 
with screw-driver or with a forked grinding tool. (See Fig. 
8.) Some valves have a slot for the use of a screw-driver 
while others have two small holes some distance apart for the 
use of a forked grinding tool. This forked grinding tool may 
be made by any farm blacksmith either in the form of a 
screw-driver or for use in a bitstock. A screw-driver may also 
be made to go in a bitstock if it is desired. 


28 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


As the valve is oscillated, it is necessary to lift it from 
its seat occasionally so as to obtain an equal distribution of 
the abrasive material. Little pressure should be placed on 
the valve while grinding, for this will tend to give a seating 
which is rough and undesirable. New applications of the 
grinding compound should be made frequently. 


When a bright ring 
appears all around the 
seat of the valve and also 
around the valve itself, 
sufficient grinding has 
been done, except that 
it is usually best to fin¬ 
ish off the job with a 
very fine grinding com¬ 
pound. A preparation of 
flour emery and oil, or 
ground glass and oil, is 
usually best for this last 
grinding. The other val¬ 
ves may be ground as 
the first. 

Care should be tak¬ 
en to keep the grinding 
compound from the pis¬ 
tons and cylinder walls. 
For this reason it is 
well to stuff with waste 
or rags the ports leading 
from the valve chambers 
to the cylinder. So be¬ 



8—SHOWING USUAL METHOD OF 
GRINDING VALVES 


fore removing these rags or ball of waste for reassembling the 






































HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 2 

valve mechanism, be sure to wash all the emery from the 
valve and valve chamber with gasoline or kerosene. 

If the valves are merely ground and the motor is not 
otherwise dismantled, about the only valve timing neces¬ 
sary will be to see that there is a proper amount of clear¬ 
ance between the valve stems and tappets which lift the 
valves. During the process of grinding it may be possible 
to bed the valves down enough so that the stems will touch 
the tappets or plungers. The clearance between the valve 
stems and plungers, when the engine gets warmed up, should 
be three to four thousandths of an inch for short stem valves 


Fig. 9. 

A.—Punch Marks for Timing Ignition to Camshaft; B—Timer Drive Gear; 
C—Timer Drive Shaft; D—Camshaft Gear; E—Punch Marks for Timing 
Camshaft to Crankshaft; F—Crankshaft Gear. 


30 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


and one one-hundredth of an inch for overhead valves; and 
it is usually best to make this adjustment—by the movable nuts 
on the plungers—after the engine has become heated. The ex¬ 
haust valve will require more clearance than the intake valve 
because it gets hotter and therefore will expand more. 

If the engine is dismantled and the timing gear disturbed, 
care should be exercised to replace them just as they were be¬ 
fore the engine was taken apart. The proper relation is gen¬ 
erally indicated by marks made on the gears by the manufac¬ 
turer (see Fig. 9) of the motor. If no marks are noticed when 
the engine is being torn down, then the mechanic should make 
some for himself in order that he may be sure to replace the 
timing gears correctly. 

The best way to do this is to bring one of the pistons, us¬ 
ually that in the front cylinder, to top center and see that both 
valves in that cylinder are closed. One tooth on the crank shaft 
gear is then marked with a punch or cold chisel and the slot 
on the large cam shaft gear in the same way. The magneto and 
cam shaft gears may be marked with two punch pricks or 
marks. When this is done, the gears may readily be replaced 
correctly. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


31 


CHAPTER VII 

Sources of Current for Ignition 

A UTOMOBILE engines get ingition current from two 
sources: 

1. Batteries. 

2. Magnetos. 

Batteries are so well understood by the average auto 
owner that they need little space here. They have been and 
are still so widely used for ignition on stationary gasoline 
engines that they are nothing new. It usually takes from 
four to six thirty-ampere cells to furnish ignition for an inter¬ 
nal combustion engine, for if too few are used the weak current 
will give trouble. 

Every person who owns an engine using dry batteries 
should have a battery tester. This little instrument can be 
bought from any hardware store for a trifling sum and will 
be invaluable. Batteries should be tested before they are pur¬ 
chased, and if they do not test as much as twenty amperes, 
they should not be taken. If any battery in a series registers 
as low as eight amperes, it should be replaced with a new one. 

Batteries should always be kept in a cool and dry place, 
while the switch should never be left on when the engine is 
not in use. In the case of stationary engines where the bat¬ 
teries may be disconnected and taken into the house, care 
should be taken to coil the wires so that none of the bare ends 
will form a short circuit. 

Sometimes a set of batteries will “give out“ when you are 
using the engine for important work. It is often impossible 
to get new batteries for several days, so here is a kink that 


32 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


may help you out of trouble sometime. When the batteries 
go down, disconnect them all and test each one separately. 
Put the strongest next to the spark coil, then the next strongest, 
etc., till the weakest cell comes last. A dead battery next to 
the coil seems to absorb all the current generated by the other 
batteries, while if they are arranged according to their strength, 
the current will be augmented. Batteries will sometimes last 
for a long time when re-connected in this way. Always con¬ 
nect batteries from center to side. 

Of the mechanical generators, there are two types—the 
oscillating magneto and the revolving armature magneto. Hith¬ 
er of these may be high or low tension. That is, either type 
may be so powerful as to produce a current strong enough for 
ignition without the use of a spark coil, while either type may 
be in such form that the current delivered will require a coil 
to intensify it before it will give a good spark, which type 
is called “low tension.” 

A mechanical generator (Fig. 10) of electricity produces 
current by inductive action. It is a known fact that if insulat¬ 
ed wire is wound around a bar of iron or steel and a current 
of electricity passed through it, the metal will become magne¬ 
tized—that is, it will have the power to attract other pieces of 
iron or steel to it. 

As a current of electricity flowing through a wire coiled 
about a bar of iron will make a magnet of it, if a magnet be 
inserted into an inactive coil of wire, it will generate in the coil 
of wire a current of electricity by a reversal of the phenomena 
first mentioned. In other words, a current of electricity will be 
produced in an insulated wire by a magnet if either of these 
is moved in such a way that the field of magnetic influence is 
traversed or cut by the wire. In a magneto (Fig. 10) a num- 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


33 


ber of coils of wire are mounted on a revolving member, called 


armature N, which is placed 
between the poles of the 
magneto’s permanent mag¬ 
nets or in the “electrical 
field” of these magnets. As 
the armature is turned, the 
windings pass through the 
electric field of the magnet 
and a current of electricity, 
or an “electrical impulse,” 
is set up in the armature 
windings. The faster the 
magneto revolves the great¬ 
er the number of electri¬ 
cal impulses produced and 
the stronger the current. 

In the oscillating mag¬ 
neto, the armature is given 
a partial instead of a whole 
circuit or revolution. This 
magneto is so arranged that 
when a spark is desired the 
armature will be given a 
quick partial turn which 
will give a flow of electri¬ 



magnetism is represented by the broken 
lines and arrows. In the center of the 
diagram and between the "poles” of the 
magnet is located the armature desig¬ 
nated by the letter “N”. In the com¬ 
pleted magneto insulated wire is wound 
on the armature to fill the spaces marked 
"M”. As the armature is turned the flow 
of magnetism through its core is broken 
and forced to flow through the wires 
wound about the sides of it. This gen¬ 
erates an electrical impulse in the wires 
and gives a current for ignition the strength 
of which varies with the rapidity at which 
the armature revolves. 


cal energy through the windings, this current being utilized 


in the cylinders for making a spark immediately after it is gen¬ 


erated. 


A well-designed magneto should last as long as the en¬ 
gine, and is one of the things the novice should not tear down. 
About the only attention necessary is to give the bearings a 











34 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


drop of oil occasionally, keep the terminals well-connected, 
and the whole machine free from grease and dirt. 

Before condemning a magneto or sending it to the factory 
for repairs, be sure the trouble is in the magneto. If in doubt 
about the magneto, disconnect all the wires, slightly moisten 
the fingers and place them on the terminals. Now have some¬ 
one crank the engine. If the magneto is all right, a smart 
shock will be felt. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


35 


CHAPTER VIII 

Caring For Spark Coils and Vibrators 

T HE simple, primary spark coils used with stationary 
gasoline engines need very little attention. It sometimes 
happens that one of the wires burns in two in a coil of this 
kind, and in such cases it is best to send the whole unit to 
the maker for rewinding rather than to attempt to make the 
repair yourself. 

Vibrating induction coils (Fig. 11) are rather more com¬ 
plicated, and a repairman is seldom found who thoroughly 
understands their care and adjustment. 

If the vibrator buzzes weakly when the timer makes con¬ 
tact, first test the batteries to make sure there is sufficient 
current to operate the vibrator; or if a magneto is used, hold 
the moistened fingers against the magneto terminals to deter¬ 
mine the strength of the current. 

If there is plenty of current available, next examine the 
vibrator contact points to see if they are clean and smooth. 
If the points are rough and uneven, this will interfere with 
the proper contact and therefore with proper vibrator action. 
The contact points should have a true, flat surface. 

The remedy for these uneven points is to remove the 
vibrator points and smooth them with a file, or to smooth them 
by passing a piece of fine emery cloth between them. As has 
been said before, extreme care should be taken to get these 
contact points perfectly level and smooth. Also file away as 
little of the platinum as possible. 

Directly under the vibrator is the iron core of the coil. 


36 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


The coil winding is made 
about this core and when 
current is passed through 
the winding, the core be¬ 
comes a magnet, attracts 
the vibrator to it, pulls 
the platinum points apart 
and thus breaks the cir¬ 
cuit. 

The farther away 
this vibrator is from the 
core the more current will be needed to operate it. The vibrator 
tension should be strong enough to produce a buzz but the ten¬ 
sion should not be too great, as it will thus increase the current 
consumption. This will make quite a drain on the current, 
and if batteries are used as the cource of the current, their 
life will be short. 

If the vibrator tends to stick, the core should be smoothed 
off as well as the under surface of the vibrator. This will 
remove any rust that may have accumulated on these surfaces. 
A projecting core wire sometimes interferes with proper vi¬ 
brator action. Make sure the top of the core is smooth and 
bright. 

The thing to remember, however, is that. nearly all vi¬ 
brator trouble comes from improperly adjusted or rough vi¬ 
brator points. When all of the vibrators on a four-cylinder 
machine become badly worn, it is often advisable to buy 
and install a “master vibrator.” In this case all of the old 
vibrators are screwed down tight, short-circuited with a short 
piece of copper wire, and left in their places. The master 
vibrator is then connected in between the magneto or bat¬ 
teries and the old coils—the single vibrator working for all 
cylinders. 


^ - 



Fig. ii. 

-Adjusting Screws; B—Platinum Points 

(Note the uneven surfaces which should be 
smoothed); C—Vibrator; D—Soft Iron 
Core. 































HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


37 


CHAPTER IX 


w 


Locating Spark Plug and Engine Wiring Troubles 

HEN an engine “misses fire” or runs irregularly, the 
trouble may be due to one of four things, and I list 
them in the order of their liability: 

(1) The most frequent cause of such trouble is one or 
more faulty spark plugs. 

(2) The vibrator points may be out of adjustment or 
the points pitted. 

(3) Some of the ignition zviring may be broken, discon¬ 
nected or short-circuited. 


(4) The commutator may be dirty or worn. 

By far the greater portion of ignition troubles are found 
in the spark plugs, and one should be sure the trouble is 
not with them before looking after other causes. 

When it is found that one or more engine cylinders are 
failing to fire as they should, throttle down the engine until 
it is turning slowly, and then test each plug separately. To 
do this, raise the hood of the motor, take a screwdriver and 
short-circuit one of the plugs to the cylinder head, as shown 
in Fig. 12. If the plug is working properly, the speed of the 
engine will immediately decrease as it is short-circuited, while 
it will pick up again as soon as the screwdriver is removed. 
Test every plug in this way till one or more is found upon 
which the short-circuiting has no effect. When the missing 
cylinders are thus located, you know where to look more defi¬ 
nitely for the trouble. 

To find out whether the missing is really due to the spark 
plug, unfasten the wire leading to the spark plug, hold it an 
eighth of an inch from the cylinder head (with the engine 
running on the remaining cylinders) and see if a spark passes 
regularly from the wire to the cylinder head. If it does, you 






38 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


have located the trouble and can place the blame where it be¬ 
longs—on the spark plug. If a spark does not pass from the 
wire to the cylinder head, then the trouble is probably due to 
the vibrator of the induction coil of that cylinder, the treatment 
of which has been discussed in a previous chapter. Or some¬ 
times it may be due to broken wires or faulty commutator. In 
the latter case, however, all of the cylinders are liable to be 
out of commission—especially if the fault is due to a dirty or 
greasy commutator. If the commutator should become dirty 
from the accumulation of grease, remove it and clean with 
gasoline. 

If a spark plug is found to be at fault, then it should be 
removed from the cylinder and the trouble given a more 
thorough investigation. The trouble may be due to one of 
several things—(1) the porcelain of the plug may be broken, 
(2) the electrode may be short-circuited by the collection of 
carbon, or (3) the points of the plug may be bent until they 
touch each other, or are too 
far apart. If the porcelain is 
found to be cracked or broken, 
the plug may as well be thrown 
away and a new one substi¬ 
tuted. If the plug is merely/"' 
coated with carbon, this may 
be removed by soaking in gas¬ 
oline or kerosene and then 
washing the plug with a stiff 
brush, or scraping it with a 
small cloth-covered knife—the 
cloth being used to prevent 
scratching the porcelain of the 

plug as its insulating qualities good way to locate missing 

YlylNDEyRS 

















HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


39 


may be destroyed in this way. If the spark plug points are bent 
so they touch or are too wide apart, adjust them so that they 
are apart about the thickness of a worn dime. 

A person owning an automobile with a high tension system 
of ignition will not have vibrator and commutator troubles to 
contend with, and there will also be a smaller amount of wire 
to become worn or oil-soaked. The magneto current distributor 
will need attention, however, and if the fault of missing is not 
in the spark plugs, it may usually be traced to dirty points in 
the distributor box. 

If a screwdriver is not handy, one may often locate miss¬ 
ing cylinders by other means. One of these is by feeling of the 
spark plugs to see which are hot and which are cold. If a 
cylinder has not been firing the plug of that cylinder will be 
cool in comparison with the others. 

One can often tell a missing plug by removing it from 
the cylinder for an examination. If it has been firing the plug 
will be clean and fairly bright. If it has not been firing, it 
will be covered with grease and dirt. 

All wiring connections should be kept snug and “frazzled” 
ends never tolerated. Also keep the wires as free from grease 
as possible and try to arrange them so they will not rub each 
other or any part of the machine. If this is done, they will 
be comparatively trouble-proof. 



40 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER X 


Keeping the Motor Lubricated 


T HE most important thing about motor operation is lubri¬ 
cation. If the bearings of any machine are allowed to run 
dry, especially in such a rapid moving machine as a gasoline 
motor, they will be ruined in a little while. If fed dirty oil, or 
too little oil, the same is true, only in less measure. It is also 
possible to supply a motor with too much oil causing the ac¬ 
cumulation of carbon in the cylinders, valves, and even the 



Fig. 1 3- DIAGRAM FORCF-FLLD LUBRICATING SYSTEM 









HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


41 


muffler; and this is attended with a disagreeable odor and 
excess bluish exhaust smoke. 

Lubricating systems may be divided into three classes— 
gravity oilers, force-feed oilers, and splash system oilers—or 
combinations of these. 

The gravity oiler is rarely used now. It consists of an oil 
tank set above the engine with pipes leading to every bearing 
to be lubricated, while the flow of oil is regulated by check 
valves which may be adjusted by the operator. 

The force-feed lubricating system (Fig. 13) seems to be 
gaining in favor. This consists of a tank to hold the oil, while 
a pump is provided to force the oil through the pipes to all 
bearings. Such a system, if well constructed, affords positive 
lubrication at all times, as it is impossible for the pipes to be¬ 
come stopped up and resist the flow of oil. 

The splash oil system (Fig. 14) is the one in most common 
use—often in combination with the force-feed. This is so 
arranged that the surplus oil is stored in the crank case where 


■CCENTRIC ON CAM SHAFT 


TO REAR OF MOTOR 
CHECK VALVE 


PUMP INTAKE PIPE 


TO TIMINS GEARS 


CHECK VALVE 
PUMP PLUNGER 


STRAINER 



DRAIN PLUG 


Fig. I4 ._COMBINED SPLASH AND FORCE-FEED LUBRICATING SYSTEM 




42 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


the connecting rods, when moving, agitate it and splash it 
over all the moving parts within the engine. Some motors 
have the flywheel within this housing which also assists in agi¬ 
tating and distributing the oil. This splash system is the simp¬ 
lest of all lubricating systems. 

The success of all these systems depends on using good 
oil and keeping them clean. When a motor has been operated 
for some time and the oil used over and over again, it becomes 
dirty, gritty, burned, and diluted with gasoline which seeps 
down past the engine pistons. 

When the lubricating oil in a motor becomes dirty or 
diluted therefore, it is well to draw out the old oil, wash out 
the system with kerosene, and put in new oil. 

Care should be used, however, in giving the motor a kero¬ 
sene bath. When the kerosene is placed in the oiling system, 
it should be remembered that it is not a lubricating oil and 
that the motor should be run by its own power only for an 
instant, and preferably by hand power or by the self-starter 
for a few revolutions, to wash out any dirt or sediment. 

After the motor lubricating system has been washed out. 
drain out the kerosene very carefully and put in fresh oil. In 
starting the motor again, it should be remembered—especially 
where a force-feed oiling system is used—that it will take the 
new oil sometime to get to all the bearings to take the place 
of the oil washed out by the kerosene, so the motor should be 
run slowly a little while. 

In force-feed systems, the pump has a fine wire screen for 
catching sediment. This should be examined frequently and 
cleaned when necessary. 

Another thing that should be remembered is that “cheap” 
oil is not cheap at all. A machine such as an automobile motor 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


43 


is a fine piece of mechanism and should be treated as such; 
and you can no more use poor oil and get good results than 
you could use coal in place of gasoline, for fuel, and get good 
results. 


44 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER XI 

Lengthening the Life of Bearings 

I N THE automobile one finds three distinct kinds of bear- 
ings—the ordinary solid soft metal bearing, roller bear¬ 
ings, and ball bearings. Each of these have special uses. The 
soft metal bearings—made of brass or babbitt—are generally 
used for the main engine crankshaft and connecting rod bear¬ 
ings, and either ball bearings or roller bearings for the driving 
mechanism and wheel and axle bearings. Of course this ar¬ 
rangement is not correct in all cases, for construction differs 
greatly in the various cars, and where a roller bearing is used 
on one car, a solid or ball bearing may be employed on an¬ 
other. 

When solid soft-metal bearings are made, allowance is 
made for considerable adjustment. In some cases this adjust¬ 
ment may be made by removing one or more small shims from 
between the halves of the bearings thus permitting the bearing 
to be drawn to a closer fit. In other cases, part of the bearing 
shoulders have to be filed away in order to secure adjustment. 
Either of these adjustments is easy, and no one should have 
trouble in making them. 

It is well to remember, however, that in making adjust¬ 
ments, the replaced bolts of the bearing should be drawn tight 
and that the bearing should fit the shaft snugly but without 
undue binding. A point to be observed is to make sure that 
the bolts are imbedded solidly in their proper positions and 
that they are not raised by burrs or any particles of dirt which 
will flatten out when the engine is run and thus allow the bolt 
to slack off. To guard against this, the bolts should be struck 
with a hammer several times after they are tightened up and 
the bearing cap should be hit sharply several times with a 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


45 


wooden mallet or lead hammer. Also be sure that the retaining 
nuts will stay in place and not slack off. The nuts used on 
most bearings of the motor car are of the castellated kind and 
can thus be held in place by cotter pins or wire. 

Some of the ball bearings and roller bearings employed in 
automobile construction at the present time are adjustable and 
some are not. When the unadjustable bearings become worn, 
there is nothing to do but replace them with new ones. The 
tapered roller bearing may be adjusted, and also the ball bear¬ 
ings with cone and cup-shaped races. These should be in¬ 
spected frequently and adjusted so that play will be eliminated, 
yet turn without binding. 

One bearing adjustment about an automobile which seems 
to be neglected more than any other is that of the front wheels. 
You can watch the automobiles passing along any public road 
for a while and nine out of ten that pass will have wobbly 
front wheels. Jack up the front wheels of your car and see 
how much play they have and then adjust them by using the 
nuts placed inside the hub caps for this purpose. 

Another thing just as important in the life of bearings as 
adjustment is proper lubrication. Most bearings are lubricated 


section 

OP BEARING 






J 


PROPER LUBRICATION 
IMPROPER LUBRICATION . , , . . 

Fig 15 —When a grease cup is filled with pm grease, it should be packed in. 
If this is not done, when the grease cup is screwed down the grease 
will then pack and the operator will be fooled into thinking he has 
forced grease into the bearing. 




















46 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


by pin grease or hard oil which is forced in by grease cups. 
These should be kept full at all times and screwed down often 
enough to force in a liberal amount of grease. Grease should 
never be used which contains foreign matter of any kind. 
Many bearings have been ruined by the use of grease which 
has been exposed and allowed to collect dust and dirt. Also 
when bearings are installed in exposed parts of motor cars, 
such as wheels, do not direct a stream of water directly against 
the bearing housing as grit may be washed into the bearing. 

The auto oiling diagram and chart reproduced herewith 
will give the reader some idea of the many parts that constantly 
need lubrication. It will be well to study carefully this dia¬ 
gram or one dealing with your particular make of car until 
you have well in mind just how often each matter needs at¬ 
tention. 

There is always a tendency to neglect many of the lesser 
bearings. Most people will look after the engine, the gear 
case and the differential but many neglect putting grease in 
the wheel bearings, steering knuckles, universal joints, brake 
linkage, spring shackle bolts, etc. 

If you have been neglecting to oil your car properly, go 
over it now and see that every part that moves against another 
part is greased. And it is not enough to fill up grease cups 
and screw them down a few turns. One should be absolutely 
sure that the grease gets to the place needed. Many cars come 
from the factory with the oil holes in steering knuckles and 
shackle bolts clogged with enamel, and if there is any doubt 
about oil reaching these parts, remove them and thoroughly 
clean the oil holes with a piece of wire and a bath of kerosene. 

The little things count! 








































ATTENTION REQUIRED 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


C/5 

JZ 

C 1/3 

O 

^ v- o 
C O O 

D co 

> 

w 



; ; ; 


. u, 

; 0 

■ 3J 

• V5 

. 


• V 

o 

k. 


. ♦-' 

• 15 

:0 : 


• CU 

• al 
u. 

■ G- ' 

’ 3 

. C/5 

:o 

: o . 

. <L> 

. , 

. . < 



o 

o 

sO 


c 

o 


c/5 


S 

§ 

w 


M 

£ 

£ t| 

CM t> 

Coo 

flj VO 
> 
w 


J* 

(U 


C/5 

Qj 


<u 
> 

W 


>2 


o 

o 


o 

-*-> 

15 

a- 

o 


o 

o 

sO 


rG w 

O ^ 

. c 

bX ~ 
c *"• 
M <u 


W 

. ^ 

3 2 

O S 


bjo 

c 

w 

w 

c 3 

0 


oo 

0 / 


O 

o 

oo 


>6 

V 

iS.t: 
<u >- 
<£ a- 

nj rd 

Oj v- 

SO 

_c • 






• • 










• > 










; k* 










1 

• o 










• o 










• so 









•; ii 

, 







Ooo 

^ ti ti 
.td c c 

-5 W W 
g- . . 

M W 

x- aj cH 
000 



°°9 

bX bX bX 
c c c 
WWW 

C/5 C/5 C/5 

rt rt rt 

OOO 
* * * 


C/D 

<u 


ooo 

bjo bi bJD 

c a c 

WWW 

C/D C/D C/3 

.*TJ 03 

OOO 


O 

o 

M- 


c/5 

t- 

VG 


<v 


rt 


C /5 

aj 


o 

o 

M" 

•*«' 

c/5 

i— 

CC 

x. 

V 

*-■ 

•— 

03 


bx 

c 

W 

C/5 

rt • 

o 

* 


o 

•*-» 

15 

G, 

nj 

x-, 

o 


h 

ix 

< 

ft. 


<U 

bx 

c 

rt 

-c 

U 


bx 

• c 

• Cd 
— JG 

o<-> 


bx 

G 

W 


c/5 

o 


bx 

c 

W 

y. 

o 






• • 

. 





• * 

. . 4 





• 

. 












* • * 






■ 






* 






* • • 






• , • 



• 


• ■*-> 

• . • 



• 


■ CTS 

* C/5 • 



• 

• 

• JZ 

• 

J 


oo 

% 

. CO 



o 

o 

rv 



bx.5.5 ^ 

G ^ c 

a> £ 

G* *_< 4-J *■* — s 

CO C/D C/3 W O 


C/>0 


o 

JD 

E 


S bx 

O ^ 


tN,rr '^ U ^ S ^ t>v00 ^ < G> — M^lrfcrVONoC^O - <nj 


n oo ^ t 
•—< •— 1 CM 


c 

CJ 


3 

< 


c 

cd 

G 

Ph 

V 

-4—* 

G 

3 

o 

U, 


<u 

bx 

cd 

Oh 

bx 

C 

* •-* 

<D 

O 

a; 

g 

Ph 

£ 

cd 

G 

bx 

cd 

Q 

<L> 

<U 

C/3 


H 

< 

K 

u 

r N 

o- 


o 

H 

P 

< 










































































































































HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


49 


CHAPTER XII 


How to Treat the Clutch 


CLUTCH is a mechanical device by which the motor of an 



jl \» automobile is connected to the driving mechanism. By 
engaging or disengaging the clutch, an automobile may be 
stopped at will while the motor is allowed to run. 

Now why is it necessary for an automobile to have a 
clutch? 

Let us see. A clutch is not necessary on a steam engine 
or an electric motor, because both of these power plants 
draw their energy from other sources and are therefore 
able to deliver their rated horse-power instantly and can 
start under load. The automobile engine is different; it 
generates its own power by internal combustion, as we 
have already learned, and the power of the engine depends 
to a great extent on its speed. It is therefore obvious 
that it can’t be started under load, as it has to be started 
by hand or self-starter and allowed to gain speed. 

Practically all automobile clutches are of the frictional 
type. That is to say, two surfaces—one fastened to the 
propelling mechanism and one to the power plant—are 
arranged so that at the will of the operator they may be 
“engaged” or brought into contact with each other or 
“disengaged” or separated from each other. When the 
member of the clutch that is attached to the automobile 
motor is brought into contact with the member that is 
attached to the driving mechanism, the rotary motion of 
the one is transmitted to the other, until finally both mem¬ 
bers become firmly engaged and turn as one. 


50 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


At the present time there are two principal types of 
clutches—the cone clutch (Fig. 17) and the multiple clutch 
(Fig. 18). Both give good results. The cone clutch is usually 



FLYWHEEL CLUTCH 



faced with leather or a combination of leather and cork, while 
the multiple disk has no facing whatever and runs in an oil 
bath. 

Another method of transmitting power is by what is 
known as planetary gears. This system is very simple in op¬ 
eration but rather complicated in construction. There are 
so many bushings and bearings in this type of transmis¬ 
sion that it usually wears out quickly and has been dis¬ 
carded by most manufacturers. There is one well-known 
make on which this type of transmission is standard equip¬ 
ment, however. 






























































HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


51 


If treated right, the clutch rarely gives any trouble 
except in the course of time it will have to be re faced or 
adjusted to take up any wear. The instruction book of your 
particular make of car will give you detailed information for 
doing this. 

But “how to treat the clutch” is the most important 
thing, and about the whole story is told by the accom¬ 
panying drawing (Fig. 19) which illustrates in the case of 
horses the same principle we have to deal with in start¬ 
ing automobiles. If 
the motor is speeded 
up too much and the 
clutch abruptly en¬ 
gaged, there is not so 
much danger of per¬ 
manently damaging 
the clutch as there is 
of breaking some 
other part of the car 
.—usually some of the 
small drive pinons. 

Remember therefore not to race the motor and to en¬ 
gage the clutch gradually. Do not let your car start with 
a jerk, for this will do more damage than several miles of 
actual road service. The trick of engaging the clutch 
properly is hard to learn, and differs on every car, but by 
a little thought and watchful practice, it can be learned. 



SPEEDING UP THE POWER BEFORE 
THE LOAD IS ENGAGED— 



AND THE EFFECT 











52 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER XIII 
Making the Gear Shifts Right 

I N CHANGING gears or making gear shifts, there is al¬ 
ways danger of “stripping” the gears that serve as trans¬ 
mission members—that is, danger of breaking off some of 
the teeth from the gears. It will be well therefore for 
every automobile operator to learn some rules on correct 
gear shifting. 

The automobile motor gets it power from speed— 
the faster it runs the more power developed. For this 
reason, in starting a car, climbing a very steep hill, or 
going through a muddy place, a driver should use “low 
gear.” When “low gear” is used, the crankshaft of the 
engine makes several revolutions to every revolution of 
the automobile drive shaft. When you go to “second 
speed” the speed ratio between engine and drive shaft is 
reduced; and when a change is made to “high” the ratio 
is reduced still more—the drive shaft usually running at 
the same speed as does the motor. From this it should 
not be understood, however, that the rear wheels revolve 
every time the engine crankshaft does, for the ratio is still 
further reduced by the rear-axle gears which will be dis¬ 
cussed later. 

Now for some rules to go by. We have already learn¬ 
ed that the clutch is the connecting link between the en¬ 
gine and the driving mechanism. We use the clutch in 
starting or stopping a car and for disconnecting the engine 
from the driving mechanism to make gear changes. Here 
are five rules to be remembered: 

1. Never try to make gear changes zidth the clutch 
engaged. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


53 


2. In starting a car, first set the gears for low speed and 
then gently engage the clutch. 

3. In changing from first to second speed, disengage 
the clutch, slow the engine and after hesitating an instant 
make the change. In making this change it will have to be 
remembered that the engine will turn slower in propor¬ 
tion to the drive shaft speed, and this ratio should be judg¬ 
ed as nearly as possible by the ear before changing the gears. 
This will also apply when changing from second speed to high 
speed. 

4. In changing from high speed to a lower speed, slip 
the gear shift lever in neutral, speed up the engine and en¬ 
gage the clutch for an instant, after which release the clutch 
end shift to the lozver speed. The whole problem in making 
gear shifts correctly is in getting the gears to turn in proper 
ratio to each other before an attempt is made to shift them. 

Let me illustrate more fully what is meant. Figure 

showing the gears used In 
changing the speed of the 
modern automobile with 
sliding gear transmission. 
When the engine of a car is 
started and the clutch A in 
the diagram is engaged with 
the engine flywheel (the en¬ 
gine flywheel is not shown 
in the illustration) th« 
clutch A revolves, turning 
with it the gear I, which is 
in mesh with gear B. This 
of course causes B to revolve and also shaft D on which gears 
C, E, and F are fastened. 


20, shown herewith, is a diagram 































54 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


Now, then, as the drawing is shown, the gears are in neu¬ 
tral and the car will not move forward when the clutch is en¬ 
gaged. The clutch shaft H is hollow and the main axle shaft N 
extends into it. These shafts are not keyed together and one 
may therefore turn independently of the other. When the 
clutch A and the shaft H turn therefore, the main drive shaft 
N running to the rear wheels and the cogs L and M, fastened 
on this shaft, are still. 

Shaft N is square, except the end entering shaft H, 
and the cogs L and M may be moved up and down on 
this shaft by the gear shift lever. When you want to start 
a car you therefore throw out the clutch and wait a few seconds 
for the clutch and gears to stop turning. Then slip the gear 
shift lever into low speed position which brings gears E and M 
into mesh. When you let back the clutch pedal which causes 
clutch A to engage with the engine flywheel, gear I is turned, 
which turns gear B, which turns gear E, which turns gear M, 
which turns the main drive shaft and causes the car to move 
forward. 

After the car gains some headway, the clutch is thrown 
out again, the engine slowed, the gear shift lever pushed 
to neutral and held for just an instant, and then pushed 
to second speed, which engages gears C and L. The clutch 
is then dropped back which causes the whole mechanism to 
turn, the large gear C driving the small gear L at a greater 
speed causing the car to move forward faster. 

When the car gains more headway in second speed, 
the clutch pedal is again depressed, the engine slowed, 
and the gear shift lever carried over to third speed or “high” 
gear. This brings the slotted teeth J and K together and 
when the clutch is engaged the drive shaft turns over 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


55 


every time the engine does and shafts H and N are locked 
together with no gears in mesh. 

To reverse a car, the gear shift lever is placed in re¬ 
verse position, which engages gear M with gear G. Gear G 
is engaged with gear F at all times; and the introduction 



Fig. 21.—HAND CONTROL LEVERS 

of this third gear G gives a reverse motion like crossing the belt 
on a threshing machine. 

Figure 21 shows a modern control lever or gear shift 
lever and how it is used. Position R is reverse, position 1 
first speed, position 2 second speed, and position 3 third 
speed or high gear. Figure 22 also shows a gear and clutch 
assembly where the relation of gear shift lever and clutch 
to the gears themselves is more evident. 







56 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


Going back to Figure 17, let’s study gear shifting a 
little more. I have already said that gear changes should 
be made when the gears are running in proper ratio to each 
other; and I want to explain this more fully. 

When a car is stopped, the gears are usually set in 



Fig. 22—SECTIONAL VIEW OF A STANDARD CLUTCH AND GEARSET 













HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


57 


neutral and the clutch allowed to engage. When the engine 
is cranked, therefore the clutch, gear I, and all the gears on 
shaft D are set in motion. When preparing to start the 
car therefore, the clutch should be depressed and all the 
gears in the transmission allowed to come to rest before an 
attempt is made to engage the slow speed gears. If one 
simply depresses the clutch and tries quickly to engage the 
gears while the clutch and gears on shaft D are still spin¬ 
ning, the rasping noise that will ensue may be heard quite 
a distance. In other words, the gears are not turning in 
proper ratio to each other and therefore cannot be engaged 
noiselessly—for one gear is motionless and the other is 
spinning and there is bound to be friction when they are 
brought together. Low speed and reverse gears should not 
be engaged after the clutch pedal is depressed until the 
clutch has time to stop spinning. 

When one wishes to change from low speed to inter¬ 
mediate, two gears must be meshed which are in motion, 
instead of two which are standing still. If the engine of 
the car is making 600 revolutions per minute, the shaft D 
will be making about 200 per minute which will make the 
gear N turn over about 75 times a minute. To go to second 
speed therefore, gear L, which is revolving 75 times a 
minute must be meshed with one revolving 200 times a 
minute. And not only this, but gear C is much larger than 
gear L and if they were revolving at the same speed gear 
C would put two teeth past the point of contact to gear L’s 
one. To mesh properly gear C should be slowed until it 
turns at about 35 or 40 revolutions per minute. To get gear 
C turning at the right speed, the driver simply throws out 
the clutch of the car and waits to make the gear change until 
his ear tells him that the proper speed has been reached. 


58 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


This will take practice, but it may be mastered to such a 
degree that a person standing by cannot hear when the 
gear change is made. This will also apply when changing 
from second speed to high gear. 

5. Never engage the reverse gear when the car is in for¬ 
ward motion , as the gears will invariably be stripped. 

It is rather difficult to shift gears from a high speed to 
a low speed without making a great deal of noise. To make 
this change correctly, the speed of the car must be compara¬ 
tively slow and the speed of the engine and clutch consider¬ 
ably increased. A satisfactory way to do this is to shift the 
gears from a high speed to neutral, speed up the engine and 
engage the clutch while gears are in neutral, and then shift 
to the lower gear while the clutch is spinning and the car 
moving slowly. 



HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


59 


CHAPTER XIV 
How Differentials Work 

HOUGH unseen, one of the most important units of the 
automobile driving system is the differential gear. It is 
comparatively simple and with proper care gives little trouble, 
but without such a gear one could not turn corners with a car. 

When turning corners with a four-wheel vehicle, the 
wheels on the outside of the circle turn at a greater speed than 
do the wheels on the inside because they are describing a larger 
arc. On a horse-drawn vehicle all the wheels are independent 
of each other and may revolve at different speeds when neces- 
| sary. In the automobile, different conditions prevail, and while 
| the front wheels are mounted independently, the driving wheels 
I must be connected so that each will receive its share of the 
* power generated by the engine. 

| In order to let the rear 
^'wheels of an automobile 
4urn at varying speeds when 
Corners are turned, what is 
Jcnown as a differential gear 
is used. From the illustra¬ 
tion herewith (Fig. 23) it 

will Kp nntirpd that thp axle Ri s- 2 3-—A—Driving Pinion; B—Driy- 

win oe noticed tnat me axie <? ng Gear; c _ Different iai Pinions; 

is in two parts and that the d—A xle Gears, 

inner end of each part carries a bevel gear. The main driving 
gear is mounted independently of the axles and is coupled to 
them by means of four small pinions. 

Now then, look at the illustration and assume that the 
power is being applied to the drive pinion. It is easy to see 
that if the resistance is the same on both axles the whole driv- 









60 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


ing mechanism will turn as one unit. If, however, the resis¬ 
tance of the shafts vary, the differential pinions will not only 
turn around on their studs but at the same time turn around 
the bevel gear of the slower turning axle while the other axle 
which is free to turn will be revolved at a faster rate than usual. 
This accounts for the fact that if you get one of the rear 
wheels of your car in a bottomless mudhole and apply the 
power, the wheel in the mudhole will spin very rapidly while 
the wheel on solid ground will remain motionless. 

You will see from the above paragraph that the differen¬ 
tial gear is very flexible. One wheel may stop altogether while 
the other continues to revolve or both wheels may continue to 
turn at only slightly different speeds when a slight curve is 
turned on the road somewhere. It is on the job at all times 
and really steers the rear wheels of your car for you. 

When on the road this part of your car has a great deal 
of work to do and should therefore be kept well lubricated. 
All differential and driving gear housings have a screw plug 
which may be removed to insert pin grease. It will pay every 
automobile owner to buy a “grease gun” for putting in this 
grease and then use it frequently. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


61 


•i 

1 

CHAPTER XV 


Caring for Starting and Lighting Systems 


S O WELL built are the present electric lighting and start¬ 
ing systems that they are almost “fool proof.” By this 
is meant that they are nearly automatic and will almost care 
for themselves. There is little likelihood of the starting 
motor or the current generator getting out of order, and the 
wiring is not likely to give any trouble, at least for a few years, 
when the rubber insulation may become worn or decayed from 
exposure, and need to be renewed. 

In the housings of the generator and motor, oil holes will 
be found and each one of these should receive four or five 
drops of good lubricating oil for every three hundred miles a 
car is run. 



Fie 24.— SECTION OF STORAGE 

battery 


Eliminating the things 
mentioned above, it may be 
said that the care of electric 
lighting and starting system 
is merely the care of the 
storage batteries, and the 
discussion will be confined 
to this particular point. 

A storage battery is 
made up of cells (Fig. 24), 
each one of which contains 
a positive (brown) and a 
negative (gray) plate made 
of compounds of lead and 
immersed in a solution of 
sulphuric acid and water 









62 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


(electrolyte). Without going into the principle upon which 
storage batteries operate, it will be sufficient to say here that 
these cells have the capacity of absorbing and holding a current 
of electricity when it is passed into them. In other words, they 
are able to score current and deliver it up again when needed. 
Hence the name “storage battery.” 

When the motor of your automobile is running, the gen¬ 
erator of the car’s electric system is made to revolve and thus 
generates an electric current. This is taken up by the storage 
battery for the use of starting motor and lights and is delivered 
to them when needed—which may be several days after storage 
or right away. A good storage battery will hold current a 
month or more if it is not drawn on or short-circuited. 

It is useless to give directions for storing automobile stor¬ 
age batteries in winter, for nearly everywhere cars are now 
used the year around. Care should be taken, however, to keep 
the batteries well charged in cold weather to prevent freezing. 
If this is done, no automobile battery is likely to be damaged 
by cold. This is especially true, since most cars are moderately 
well housed. 

It will be necessary to add water to the electrolyte in the 
cells occasionally, because the water evaporates. The water 
added should be distilled water, melted artificial ice water, or 
fresh rain water—enough of which should be poured in to 
raise the electrolyte above the battery plates. Never add acid, 
because this does not evaporate. 

It is sometimes necessary, however, to add more electrolyte 
to the battery cells, as when some has been spilled, a cell broken, 
or the old electrolyte poured out in order to remove sediment 
which has collected in the bottom of the cells. This latter is 
one of the most common reasons, because sediment should 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


63 


never be allowed to collect till it touches the bottom of the cell 
plates. 

If one is going to mix his own electrolyte, he should buy 
a hydrometer syringe for measuring the specific gravity of 
fluids. One of these will cost about a dollar. It is also useful 
in testing batteries. 

To make electrolyte, mix chemically pure sulphuric acid 
of 1.835 specific gravity with distilled water at the rate of two 
(2) parts of acid to five (5) parts of water, by volume. These 
liquids should be mixed in a glass or earthenware vessel and 
the acid must always he poured slowly into the zrnter and not 
the water into the acid. 

The condition of the storage battery may be determined 

by the use of a hydrometer 
syringe (Fig. 2). Electro- 
lyte from a fully charged 
battery will have a spe¬ 
cific gravity of 1.275 to 
3 1.300 and shows that a 
battery is in good condition. 
If about half charged, the 
specific gravity will be about 
1.200—while if it tests lower 
than 1.150 it indicates that 
the battery is completely 
discharged. 

One should be careful 
to keep all cell filling plugs 
tightly in place to keep the 
electrolyte from splashing 
out over the battery tops. 
-rdadin^^hydrometer Care s bould also be taken lo 


y 




1300 


a 


» 


I® 


\=rs 


Uj 

Fig. 25.- 





























64 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


avoid spilling this solution on the cell tops when filling them. 
If some of the solution is spilled and the tops and connections 
begin to corrode brush them over lightly with vaseline. 





HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


65 


CHAPTER XVI 

How to Use and Care for Brakes 



HE brakes are such an important part of a car that 


J- they deserve special treatment. If you have to start 
out on a hurried trip and do not have time to examine the 
entire car, better let the engine go and look over the brakes. 
The engine should at least be in fair condition to get you any¬ 
where, but if your brakes are bad, it may get you too far. 

The manufacturer recognizes the importance of brakes 
and has not only made them ample in size but has designed 
them so as to be protected from grit and dust and so that 
dragging will be prevented. Brakes on modern cars therefore 
are sufficient for all ordinary purposes if properly cared for. 

The car-owner should understand first of all that every 
car has two sets of brakes which operate independently of 
each other. Very often a car goes over an embankment or into 
a ditch because the owner or driver did not know there were 
two independent braking systems on his car. One went wrong 
so he thought there was no method of stopping the car. 

In fact, cars have three methods of braking. One is the 
foot brake, another the emergency brake, and the third is the 
engine. Most people regard the engine as something that 
speeds a car instead of slowing it and this is generally true. 
But if one will arrange the throttle adjustment so that all 
the gasoline may be cut off, the compression of the engine will 
act as a brake in going down hill. And if still greater braking 
power is necessary, a car may be thrown in low gear, when 
the braking power of the engine will be very great. 

In fact, in ordinary driving, a car may be controlled by 
using the brakes very little. Cut off all gasoline and let the 
engine cp&st down hills against compression, using the foot- 


66 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


brake as much as is necessary for perfect control; and few 
hills will require the use of brakes at all. The same thing is- 
true in bringing a car to a stop: cut off the gasoline ahead of 
time and let the car coast to a standstill as nearly as possible. 

On long hills where it is necessary to use the brakes (and 
no driver should hesitate to use them when it is necessary) 
the driver should learn to use first one set and then the other. 
Under constant use brakes become hot and their fabric lining 



Fig. 26.—MODERN BRAKING SYSTEM 

will burn out. Therefore alternating the sets used under heavy 
duty will prevent overheating. 

There is another thing besides burning out that causes 
brakes to fail, and this is the collection or the inadvisable ap¬ 
plication of oil on the brake drums. Sometimes this is caused 
by oil working out at each end of the rear-axle housing or 
sometimes the car-owner may have become too enthusiastic 
about lubrication and oiled everything “in sight.” 

The braking surfaces should not be oiled intentionally, and 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


67 


if oil works out of the axle housing onto the drums, the prob¬ 
ability is that the oil level in the differential case is kept too 
high or that the felt packing at each end of the axle is inade¬ 
quate. Lower the oil level or repack the axle housing ends as 
may be necessary. 

While oil on the brake bands and drums is not wanted, 
it should not be taken for granted that brake linkage, levers, 
etc., should not have oil—for this is highly desirable. Such 
oiling not only reduces wear, but will eliminate many would-be 
squeaks. 

Another cause of brake failure is due to the linings wear¬ 
ing thin and thus allowing the rivets with which they are 
fastened to the bands to come in contact with the drums. This 
“scores” or grooves the drums and greatly reduces their ef¬ 
ficiency. When brake band linings begin to show much wear 
therefore, it is well to have new fabric put in. 

The usual arrangement of brakes on the modern car is 
(1) a set of foot-brakes—one brake on each rear wheel—which 
contract on the brake-drums and (2) one set of hand-brakes— 
one brake on each rear wheel—which expand inside the brake 
drums. The foot-brake is the one most used while on the road, 
and the hand-brake is largely used for locking a car when it is 
left standing, but it may be used alternately with the foot- 
brake on long grades, as I have already mentioned. Or in 
case of an emergency, it may be used to stop quickly. The 
driver should not depend on the emergency brake for making 
a quick stop, however, and thereby let his service brake get in 
bad shape. Keep them both in good working order. 

The adjustment of brakes is very simple. They have an 
adjusting arrangement at each brake and also on the brake 
linkage. In making brake adjustments, these facts should be 
kept in mind; (1) that brake bands should be clear of drums 


63 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


when not applied; and (2) that each brake drum should be 
gripped with an equal pressure. The adjusting bar swung 
under every car will take care of some variation in adjustment, 
but it should not be expected to do it all. A good way to 
equalize the adjustment is to jack up both rear wheels and test 
out the brakes to see which acts the more quickly. When this 
is determined, adjustment may be made intelligently. Un¬ 
equalized brakes cause skidding. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


69 


CHAPTER XVII 
How to Save Tire Money 

T HE cost of tires is one of the very largest items in 
the automobile’s expense account. When some people 
get a new car they firmly believe that tire trouble is un¬ 
avoidable, and therefore do not try to care for the tires prop¬ 
erly and get as much service as possible. If a neighbor gets 
good service from his automobile tires, he is “lucky.” If an¬ 
other neighbor gets poor service from the same kind of tires, 
he is “unlucky.” As a matter of fact, there is no luck at all to 
the service given. 

There are just three common tire enemies—water, light, 
wear. Let us consider the relation of these things to tire life. 

The walls or substantial inner portions of the automobile 
tire are largely composed of cotton fabric. When tires are 
new, this fabric is held together and completely covered with 
a coat of rubber which is of course waterproof. As the tires 
are used, they hit obstructions such as sharp rocks, bottles, 
cans, pieces of glass, etc., which cut through the outer coating 
of rubber—and sometimes well into the fabric itself—and leave 
the cloth exposed. Then moisture enters and decay sets in; 
and later when the car hits some rock or bump, the tire blows 
out. 

One of the first things an automobile owner ought to buy 
therefore is a small vulc anizer s o that such cuts as have been 
indicated may be p r ornpflyTepaTred before decay sets in. There 
are also some putty-like preparations on the market which do 
very well for filling such cuts as these. 

Then light is another great cause of tire damage—and 
heat goes with it. The garage where a car is stored when not in 
use should be dark, cool, and dry. Light seems to start a pro¬ 
cess of decay in the rubber of a tire and when frequently ex- 


70 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


posed to direct sunlight for long periods of time, the rubber 
loses its vitality and becomes hard and devoid of resiliency. 
When a car is to be left standing out for some time, leave it 
under shade, if possible. If this can’t be done, spread a robe 
or something similar over the tires exposed to direct sunlight. 
Spare tires usually get the worst treatment and covers for spare 
tires will pay well. 

Of course, tires will wear out, even with the best of care. 
It is natural that they should wear to a certain extent; but it 
is unnatural for them to wear out as rapidly as a great many 
drivers think. This question of wear is so important that I 
believe it will be well to give a few suggestions as to how it 
may be reduced a great deal:— 

1. Keep tires inflated to the pressure recommended by the 
manufacturers except when they become badly worn. To this 
end, buy a tire pressure guage and use it. Under-inflated tires 
not only wear out quickly but increase the gasoline consump¬ 
tion because of their greater road friction. It should be remem¬ 
bered, however, that inflation should be a little less in hot 
weather as heat causes the air in tires to expand—causing 
blow-outs if pumped too tight. 


Air Pressure Required by Different Sized Tires. 


Diameter of Tire, 

Maximum Weight on 

Lbs. Per 

Inches 

Wheels, Lbs. 

Square Inch 

2% 

225 

50 

3 

350 

60 

3% 

600 

70 

4* 

750 

80 

4% 

1,000 

90 

5 

1,000 

90 


2. Drive your car at a moderate speed, turn corners slow¬ 
ly, and pick your road carefully. From every standpoint, it is 
best to keep the speed of a car under 25 miles an hour. Twenty 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


71 


miles an hour is good speed and at this rate one can pick the 
road carefully and avoid a great many bumps, cans, bottles, 
etc., which would otherwise not be seen. This speed also gives 
most miles per gallon of gasoline. Corners and curves should 
not be turned when a car is making much headway, as exces¬ 
sive strain is thrown on the tires. They are liable to skid and 
thus increase the tire wear, to say nothing of the danger. 

3. Avoid abrupt starting and stopping. When the clutch 
is thrown in suddenly, the rear wheels will spin on the surface 
of the road before the car gets under way and many miles of 
service will be lost. The same is true when the brakes are 
applied suddenly in bringing a car to a stop. The wheels are 
locked and the momentum of the car drags them along the road 
for a distance—which is just like holding them to a grindstone. 
It is a good rule to control a car as nearly as possible by the use 
of the throttle and use the brakes sparingly. Also see that the 
brakes are properly adjusted. Sometimes more pressure is 
brought to bear on one wheel than on another and the rear tires' 
do not bear an equal amount of strain. Also have some garage- 
man check up on wheel alignment occasional ly. 

4. The care of inner tubes also deserves a word. Pin 
punctures in these may be repaired either by the use of a vul- 
canizer or cement patches. In winter, when the tires do not 
get so hot in travel, the cement patches give satisfaction. In 
summer, however, they are inclined to work loose and vul¬ 
canizing is more satisfactory. There are some tire “putties” 
on the market which are also all right. Spare inner tubes 
should be folded carefully, placed in a box, and talcum powder 
or powdered soapstone sprinkled over them. This powder 
should also be used freely between inner tubes and casings of 
the tires in use. Grease should be kept away from both inner 
tubes and casings. 




72 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER XVIII 

Keeping Down the Gasoline Bill 

W ITH gasoline high and prospects of it going higher, 
every car owner wants to operate his machine with 
as little gasoline as possible. In order to do this, let us give 
a little study to the ways in which gasoline is consumed and 
see if some of these ways are not unnecessary. 

When gasoline is burned in your car, it generates energy 
which the engine makes available in rotary motion. The more 
times, therefore, you can make a gallon of gasoline rotate the 
engine crank-shaft, the more miles you will get from it— if 
everything else is all right. 

First of all, the carburetor should be adjusted so that it 
will use a minimum amount of gasoline and give a maximum 
amount of power. More gasoline than can be burned clean 
should not be fed the engine and the “leaner” the mixture you 
can use the better. If a rather lean mixture is used, it may 
be a little hard to start the motor sometimes, but a choke is 
usually provided for this, and the engine will run all right when 
it gets hot. Sometimes if a carburetor is adjusted for easy 
starting, an abnormal amount of gasoline will be consumed in 
actual road operation when the engine gets hot. 

Then, if the carburetor is adjusted so that the gasoline 
will give up the largest possible amount of energy, one should 
see that this is used to best advantage. First, everything should 
run smoothly—have snug adjustment, yet not too tight, and 
be well lubricated. 

Then, too, the carburetor may mix the gasoline with air 
economically and yet the engine not deliver the power it should. 
This indicates a power waste somewhere that may be blamed 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


73 


on the motor and one should look for leaks in the intake man¬ 
ifold or unions, leaky valves, deposits of carbon in cylinders, 
clogged muffler, leaky piston rings, scored cylinders, missing 
cylinders, lack of lubricating oil, poor gaskets, weak valve 
springs, and dirty interrupter points. 

The position of the spark lever also has a great deal to y 
do with gasoline consumption. The spark lever is for adjust¬ 
ing the time at which the charge in the cylinders shall be fired. 

It takes gas just an instant to become ignited and expand. 
When an engine is running fast therefore, the gas has to be 
ignited ahead of time in order to exert its full expansive force 
on the piston head. If it is ignited just as the piston gets on 
“center,” the piston will have almost completed its stroke be¬ 
fore the explosion occurs. When an engine is turning rapidly, 
therefore, the spark should be kept advanced as far as your 
ear tells you it will run best; and of course, when the engine 
is turning over slow, the spark should be retarded. The spark 
should also be retarded when an engine is cranked. No leaks 
should be tolerated in the gasoline system. Sometimes the pipe 
connections will work loose because of vibration. In this case 
they should be immediately tightened. The carburetor also 
leaks sometimes, and this is often caused by sediment collecting 
in the float feed needle valve. Jarring the carburetor slightly 
will often remedy this, as well as starting the motor and speed¬ 
ing it up to suck out the foreign matter. Less often leaks are 
caused by an oil-soaked cork or a punctured metal float or a 
poorly seated needle valve. 

And above all things, the motorist should seek to save 
gasoline while the car is in actual operation. Here are a few 
points on this problem: 

1. Arrange your gasoline feed lever so that you may cut off 


74 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


all the gasoline from the engine if you will. This may be used 
to advantage when coasting down hills. Cut off the gasoline 
and let gravitation run your car while it will instead of having 
the engine use some gasoline and then bring the brakes into 
play to keep it from running away. This is true in stopping 
a car, as has already been mentioned. 

2. Do not run your car at a fast clip until ready to stop 
and then apply the brakes suddenly. On the contrary, the en¬ 
gine may be shut off, the clutch disengaged, and the car al¬ 
lowed to coast to a standstill in many instances. 

3. Then, too, if you stop your car to have a long con¬ 
versation with someone, shut off the motor. 

4. Do not form the habit of “warming up” the engine 
of your car before you start out on the road. This is useless. 
Use the gasoline to get over the road. 

5. Under inflated tires also increase gasoline consumption. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


75 


CHAPTER XIX 

Caring For Your Automobile In Summer 

W HEN driving an automobile in summer, one should take 
care to see that the motor does not overheat. In winter 
it is sometimes necessary to have a radiator cover in order to 
keep the engine hot enough to run well, but the problem is just 
the opposite in hot weather. 

Never is it so important to see that the engine has plenty 
of the right kind of oil as at this season of the year. A good 
many cars require a different kind of oil in summer—one that 
has more body than is required in winter—and this is espec¬ 
ially necessary in engines that have been used quite a while. 

Then the cooling system deserves attention. If there are 
any leaks in the radiator or piping, have them fixed. Also be 
sure that the water is free to circulate and that there is enough 
water in the radiator to allow circulation. 

Sometimes the habit of driving with a retarded spark is 
formed in cold weather, because this will cause the engine to 
heat readily and therefore run smoother at that season, and 
the habit is not changed when hot weather does come. Driving 
an engine at high speed with a retarded spark will cause it to 
become excessively hot during warm weather and this should 
be avoided. 

Also see that the fan belt is in good condition and that it is 
tight enough to drive the fan at its maximum speed. Wipe 
this belt free of oil and grease occasionally. Belts should have 
enough grease to be soft and pliable, but large amounts of 
grease will allow them to slip. 

Sometimes the flow of water in the cooling system is hin¬ 
dered by improperly cut gaskets or carelessness in placing con¬ 
necting pieces of hose. In placing these pieces of hose, some- 


76 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


times the inner lining is folded back, covering the opening of 
the pipe and thus obstructing the flow of water. 

If the engine is loaded with carbon deposits, it will also 
overheat. The same thing is true if the valves need grinding, 
or the ignition is out of time, or if a rich mixture is fed, or if 
the muffler is clogged with soot. 

The tires also deserve especial care in summer, as heat 
affects them in several ways. One thing that the heat does is 
to cause the air in the tires to expand. Most manufacturers 
specify that a certain pressure be maintained in their make of 
tires at all times regardless of weather, but it is usually best 
to reduce the pressure ten pounds in very hot weather. Fric¬ 
tion between tires and hot roadway cause the air to expand in 
the tires and if they are old, there is quite likely to be a blow¬ 
out if they are inflated to capacity when cool. 

When a car is left standing, it should be placed in the 
shade, if possible, not only on account of the paint or enamel, 
but because heat will damage the tires. If the car cannot be 
placed in the shade, then cover the exposed tires with some¬ 
thing. Spare tires should also be carried in cases so that they 
will be protected. 

Puncture patches also give more trouble in summer. The 
prepared patches give excellent service in cold weather but 
sometimes the heat of summer will cause them to work loose. 
It is therefore safest to vulcanize punctures. 

In hot weather water will also evaporate more rapidly 
from the storage battery, and this should have close attention. 





HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


77 


CHAPTER XX 


Caring For Your Automobile In Winter 


W HEN motor cars were being developed, it was the 
usual thing to store them during the winter months; 
now it is customary to use them the year round. 

If a car is to be kept in service, the most important point 
to be considered is the proper care of the cooling system, and 
a good anti-freezing compound or solution should be provided 
in order to protect this vital part. 

Without doubt, the best substance to use is denatured al¬ 
cohol. This has no destructive effect on metals or rubber hose 
and will form no deposits in the pipes of the cooling system. 
Its chief disadvantage is that it evaporates easily and has a low 
boiling point. For this reason, there is danger of letting the 
solution become too weak. 

The following table shows the amount of denatured al¬ 
cohol needed, and the temperatures at which each mixture will 
freeze: 

Alcohol Water 

5 per cent 95 per cent 

15 per cent 85 per cent 

20 per cent 80 per cent 

30 per cent 70 per cent 

35 per cent 65 per cent 


Freezing Point 
25 degrees above zero 
11 degrees above zero 
5 degrees above zero 
9 degrees below zero 
16 degrees below zero 


Various mixtures of water, glycerin and alcohol have been 
tried with good results. While glycerin itself has a decomposing 
effect on rubber hose, the small amount it will be necessary to 
use in a mixture of this kind will not be harmful. The reason 
for adding the glycerin is that it greatly reduces the evaporation 
of the alcohol and water. The best mixture is one of half al¬ 
cohol and half glycerin. 


78 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


Freezing Point 
20 degrees above zero 
8 degrees above zero 
5 degrees below zero 
23 degrees below zero 


The freezing temperature of such a solution in varying 
proportions is as follows: 

Alcohol and Glycerin Water 
15 per cent 85 per cent 

25 per cent 75 per cent 

30 per cent 70 per cent 

40 per cent 60 per cent 

The proper proportion of the above mixture must, of 
course, be governed by the locality, but it is better to be safe 
than sorry. For this reason, make the solution strong enough 
for any extremes to be expected. The glycerin in such a solu¬ 
tion will remain practically the same, while water and alcohol 
must be added as evaporation takes place. 

If the automobile is not used very frequently, the cooling 
system may be drained each time the car is put away and re¬ 
filled. again when it is necessary to use it. When this plan is 
adopted, the cooling system may be filled with hot water when 
the weather is extremely cold and thus aid in starting the en¬ 
gine easily. When no anti-freezing solution is used, however, 
one is always afraid to leave a car standing idle very long be¬ 
cause of its liability to freeze up. 

It is very often troublesome to start a motor in winter. 
This may be overcome by filling the engine cooling system with 
hot water when no anti-freezing solution is used, and when the 
cooling system is not drained each time the motor is stopped, 
the same purpose may be accomplished by priming the motor or 
pouring hot water on the carburetor and intake manifold. 

Most engines have priming cocks fitted in the cylinder 
heads through which priming fluid may be injected in to the 
cylinders. If priming cocks are not provided, the spark plugs 
may be removed for this purpose. High-test gasoline or a 
mixture of half gasoline and half ether should be used for this 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


79 


priming. The latter mixture should be kept tightly corked to 
prevent evaporation. 

The object in pouring hot water on the carburetor is to heat 
the gasoline it contains so that it will vaporize easily, and the 
result may be hastened by wrapping the carburetor with a 
woolen rag to arrest the water and keep it in contact with the 
carburetor for a greater period. 

One should also see that the storage battery is kept well - 
charged during cold weather. A charged battery will not 
freeze, but a discharged one will do so. 


80 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER XXI 
Worth-While Accessories 


IERE are a great many articles of equipment and accesso- 



1 ries which are not included in the original equipment of 
the modern automobile, but many of the things that once cost 
extra money and were considered luxuries are now conceded to 
be necessities and are included in the equipment as a matter of 
course. 

Every car should have a speedometer, and if anyone has 
a car not equipped with such an instrument, it will be well to 
buy and install one. Unless a car does have a speedometer, it 
is impossible to know how much service you are getting out 
of tires, and if tires do not give their guaranteed mileage you 
have nothing on which to base your claims for adjustment. 

Shock absorbers are another thing worth putting on a 
car that has stiff springs. These not only give a car greater 
comfort, but add to its life by eliminating a large amount of 
vibration. 

Every car should carry one or more spare tires complete, 
as well as two or three extra inner tubes. The spare tires should 
be protected by tire coverings and the tubes should be folded, 
dusted with powdered soapstone or talcum powder and placed 
in boxes. 

If much touring is done, a folding rubber bucket should 
be carried along with which to fill the radiator whenever it is 
necessary. 

A small steam vulcanizer is almost indispensable in re¬ 
pairing pin punctures in inner tubes and cuts in tire casings. 
Prepared patches should also be kept on hand at all times, as 
well as a few blow-out shoes. 

Most automobiles are equipped with tire pumps, but many 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


81 


of them are almost worthless. Be sure you have a good tire 
pump and take it with you on all trips. 

One should also have a good assortment of tools. This 
line of equipment that usually comes with cars is inadequate. 
Every car should carry the following tools: 

1 center punch. 

1 bunch of wire. 

3 end wrenches of various sizes. 

1 pair cutting pliers. 

1 chisel. 

1 box of split-pins. 

1 box of assorted nuts. 

1 pair combination pliers. 

1 small and 1 large screw driver. 

1 pipe wrench. 

1 mechanic’s hammer. 

1 monkey wrench. l 

1 rat-tail file. 

1 three-cornered file. 

1 split-pin extractor. 

1 flat file. 

1 file handle. 

1 oil can. 

1 wheel jack. 

1 small hand vise. 

1 pair of scissors. 

1 set of spark plugs. 

1 trouble lamp. 

1 set of tire tools. 

Besides the above equipment, one should keep in his shop 
or garage the tools necessary to make ordinary repairs. This 
at least should include a set of socket wrenches, a blow torch, 


82 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


several heavy wrenches, a hacksaw and several blades, a heavy 
vise, some carbon scrapers, a hand drill, and valve-grinding 
tools. 

It is well to keep the car prepared for any emergency, and 
a great deal of trouble and annoyance may sometimes be pre¬ 
vented by carrying along a small can of lubricating oil, a box 
of cup grease, and any other things that may possibly be needed. 

Above all things, keep the car’s tools and equipment in or¬ 
der. Have a place for everything and keep everything in its 
place. This is the only way to get real car service. Have your 
car so equipped that you will have no fear of not getting back 
home all right when you start out on a trip. 


IIINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER XXII 
Keeping the Car “Like New” 

I N ORDER to keep the farm automobile looking well and in 
good trim, two things are necessary: 

1. It should be kept clean and driven carefully. 

2 . It should be repaired and adjusted promptly. 

One thing that makes a car look new, is a nice body finish, 
and many motorists are at a loss to know why the brightly var¬ 
nished or enameled surface sometimes quickly loses its gloss. 
Here are some of the reasons why this happens: (1) Mud is 
allowed to dry on the body of the car and stay for days at a 
time. (2) Grease is permitted to collect on its surface. (3) 
The car is left standing out in the sun and wind and rain for 
long periods. (4) The car is stored in the barn where the am¬ 
monia fumes from the manure are allowed to get in their gloss- 
destroying work. The remedies for these things do not need 
discussion. 

One should be very careful about the kind of soap used in 
washing a car. Many of the compounds used contain alkaline 
materials which are very harmful to paints and varnishes. It 
is well to buy a soap made especially for use in washing cars 
and then use this sparingly. Where grease is to be removed 
from the running gear, use kerosene instead of soap. 

When a car is to be washed, the dust should be flushed off 
by gently pouring water over the car body and wheels or by the 
use of a hose or pump. If a hose or pump is used, the water 
should not be thrown on the car body with much force until all 
grit has been flushed off. If any mud cakes have become dry, 
wet them and let soak for a while before trying to remove them. 
After all dirt and dust have been removed, a sponge and soap 


84 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


may be used lightly, if necessary. A prepared body dressing 
may be applied after washing. 

The top should also be given attention. In cleaning mohair 
tops, dust may be removed with a moist sponge and grease and 
oil stains taken off with soap and water. Leather and imitation 
leather tops may be washed off and treated with some one of 
the many prepared leather dressings. Before applying any type 
of dressing, it is advisable to make an application of neatsfoot 
oil till the leather has been softened—and often this oil treat¬ 
ment will be sufficient. 

Now then for our second point—making repairs and ad¬ 
justments promptly. When your car is new, it will run like a 
top and you will learn to know how a perfect running car 
sounds. Then, when something develops in the way of a noise 
that you are not accustomed to hearing, do not be satisfied until 
you learn what is the cause and remove it. It may be that a 
small bolt or nut has been lost from a fender which allows it 
to rattle; it may be a loose hood or dust pan; it may be the 
windshield, or a hundred other things. Whatever it is, find 
the trouble and remedy it. 

Then keep all bearings adjusted. Do not tolerate lost 
motion anywhere. Keep the tires well inflated and all cuts re¬ 
paired. Do not drive fast or try to pass someone just to say 
that you “dusted ’ them. In short, take pride in your car and 
treat it accordingly. It will pay. All the things treated in this 
little book tend toward keeping automobiles in good shape and 
it is almost useless to elaborate on them. Remember though 
that a car is about as young as it looks and sounds. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


85 


CHAPTER XXIII 

Car Care in a Nutshell 
The New Driver Should Remember— 

1. To study carefully the instruction book of his car. 

2 . That he should practice the use of various levers till 
he operates them automatically. 

3. That fast driving is extremely dangerous, especially 
for an inexperienced driver, and is uneconomical. 

4. That a car should be kept under perfect control at 
street corners and road intersections. 

Confidence in Self and Car Comes Through— 

1. Learning everything possible about your automobile. 

2 . Taking adequate tools for repairing with you at all 

times. 

3. Carrying along extra parts, such as tires, inner tubes, 
patches, wire, nuts, bolts, oil, pin grease, etc. 

To Adjust Carburetor— 

1. Start the motor and open the throttle so it will run 
at a good speed. 

2 . Screw down the needle valve until the motor threat¬ 
ens to stop. 

3. Open up the needle valve again until the motor gains 
its maximum speed and begins to slow because of excess gas¬ 
oline. 

4. Screw down needle valve again until motor again 
reaches maximum speed. 

5. Leave throttle lever in same position while adjusting. 
To Get Good Service From Vacuum Fuel Feed— 

1. Strain all gasoline that goes into fuel storage tank. 

2. Drain sediment from storage tank and vacuum tank 
every time car is run 2,500 miles. 


86 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


3. Keep top of vacuum tank on tight and have all pipe 
connections in good shape. 

4. Keep air vent in storage tank open. 

To Grind Valves— 

1. Expose valves to be ground by removing cylinder 
head or screw plugs. 

2. Remove valve spring. 

3. Lift valve from its seat and smear surface with grind¬ 
ing compound and turn with a rotary motion by use of screw¬ 
driver or forked grinding tool. 

4. It is well to place a weak spring under the valve be¬ 
ing ground so that when pressure is removed the valve will be 
lifted. The lifting of the valve frequently is necessary in 
order to allow the grinding compound to redistribute itself. 

5. Keep grinding compound from valve stems and do 
not allow it to get into cylinders. 

6. Use coarse compound when beginning to grind and 
finish off with a fine compound. 

When You Dismantle An Engine— 

1. See that cog wheels driving magneto and camshaft 
are marked properly so that they may be reassembled in right 
relation to each other. 

2. Also see that flywheel is marked to correspond with 
some part of engine so that the crankshaft may be set in pro¬ 
per position before an attempt is made to place the gears. 

The Magneto May Be Kept in Good Shape By— 

1. Not monkeying with its “insides.” 

2. Keeping the breaker points and distributor brush 

clean. 

3. Giving the main bearings a drop or so of oil every 
500 miles. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


87 


4. Keeping it wiped free from accumulating dust and 
oil. 

Vibrators Will Work Well If— 

1. Kept properly adjusted. 

2. Points are smooth and free from dirt. 

3. Fastened securely in box. 

4. Protruding end of core is kept clean. 

5. There is a good current. 

Spark Plugs Should Be— 

1. Kept clean. 

2. Snug in pockets. 

3. With properly adjusted points. 

4. Screwed tight to current wires. 

The Motor Lubricating System Should Be— 

1. Kept filled with oil to the proper level. 

2. Free from leaks. 

3. Drained free of oil and washed out with kerosene 
every 2,500 miles. 

Automobile Bearings Should Be— 

1. Kept well lubricated. 

2. Properly adjusted. 

3. Free from dirt and grit. 

4. Given enough slack in making adjustments to avoid 
over-heating. 

The Life of the Clutch Will Be Lengthened If— 

1. It is engaged gently. 

2. Kept adjusted. 

3. Kept well faced (if cone clutch) or well oiled (if 
multiple disk clutch). 

4. If speed of engine is brought to approximately pro¬ 
per ratio with clutch before engaging. 


88 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


When Shifting Gears— 

1. Never try to make changes with the clutch engaged. 

2. In starting a car, first set the speed in low gear and 
gently engage clutch. 

3. In changing from slow to second speed, disengage 
clutch, slow engine, and after hesitating an instant make 
change to intermediate. This also applies when changing from 
second to third. 

4. In changing from a high speed to a lower speed, slip 
the gear shift lever in neutral, speed up the engine, engage the 
clutch for an instant, after which release the clutch and shift 
to the lower speed. 

5. Never engage the reverse gear when the car is in 
forward motion, as the gears will invariably be stripped. 

The Differential Will Give Longest Service When— 

1. A car is habitually started off gently. 

2. Kept well lubricated. 

3. Washed out with kerosene every 2,500 miles. 

To Get Best Service From Electric System— 

1. Never try to crank engine with clutch and gears 
engaged. 

2. Never crank the engine continuously for long periods. 
If it does not start readily, do not exhaust storage battery in 
cranking but look for the trouble. 

3. Never leave car standing at night on street or at 
church with all lights burning. Dim them. 

4. Never leave lights burning all night. 

5. Keep batteries well supplied with distilled or rain 
water. 

6. Never add acid to the batteries. 

7. Main bearings of motor and generator should receive 
frequent lubrication. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


89 


8. Keep batteries fastened to frame of car securely. 

9. Rub battery connections with vaseline occasionaly to 
counteract action of acid. 

10. Replace promptly any lost filler caps. 

11. If electrolyte is lost from batteries (spilled) have your 
service man supply more. 

12. Buy a hydrometer syringe and test batteries fre¬ 
quently. 

Brake Service Will Be Bettered If— 

1. They are applied gently. 

2. Linkage kept well adjusted and oiled. 

3. The brakes themselves properly adjusted. 

4. The engine is allowed to help brake by cutting off 
gasoline and running against compression in going down hills. 

5. Gasoline feed is used to control car as much as pos¬ 
sible and brakes used sparingly. 

6. Two sets of brakes are used alternately in going 
down long hills. 

7. Brakes are not allowed to drag. 

8. Adjust so equal pressure is given each wheel. 

Tires Will Give Maximum Service When— 

1. Kept inflated at proper pressure. 

2. Car is driven at a moderate speed. 

3. Abrupt starting and stopping is avoided. 

4. Cuts in inner tubes and casings are repaired promptly. 

5. Roads are carefully chosen. 

You Can Save Gasoline By— 

1. Having carburetor adjusted for as lean a mixture at 
is practicable. 

2. Keeping everything well lubricated. 

3. Avoiding dragging brakes. 


90 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


4. Using gasoline feed to control car as much as pos¬ 
sible instead of brakes. 

5. Keeping spark-lever advanced. 

6. Not allowing leaks in gasoline system. 

7. Keeping all cylinders firing. 

8. Retaining good compression. 

9. Having ignition and exhaust in perfect time. 

10. Keeping tires inflated. 

11. Not carrying on long conversations with someone by 
the way while the motor keeps running. 

12. Avoiding speeding. 

13. Forgetting to “warm up” engine before you start on 
road. 

When Driving a Car in Summer— 

1. Keep the radiator full of water. 

2. See that water circulation is not hindered in any way. 

3. Keep plenty of oil in motor lubricating system. 

4. Never leave car standing in the sun. 

5. Put distilled water in batteries more frequently. 

6. Keep spare tires covered. 

7. If car must be left in sun, cover exposed tires with 
cloths. 

When Driving a Car in Winter— 

1. Fill cooling system with a good anti-freeze solution 
or drain out water when engine is stopped. 

2. As a usual thing use a thinner grade of lubricating 
oil than in summer. 

3. See that the storage battery is kept well charged at 
all times. 

4. Keep tires well inflated, as they are especially liable 
to cuts when driven on ice or frozen ground. 

5. Use chains when driving over muddy or frozen roads. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


91 


6. Keep your car well housed. 

7. For quick starting on cold days pour hot water on 
the carburetor to make the gasoline vaporize easily. 

What to Do Every Day— 

1. See if radiator is full of water. 

2. Test tires to see if properly inflated. 

3. Inspect spare tires and tubes. 

What to Do Every Week— 

1. Put graphite grease in cups on steering yoke bolts. 

2. Oil brake linkage. 

3. Put distilled water in batteries. 

4. Wash car. 

5. Tighten all loose nuts, bolts and screws. 

What to Do Every Two Weeks— 

1. Put grease in front hubs. 

2. Oil starter bearings. 

3. Inspect and oil tire pump. 

4. Put grease in spring grease cups. 

What to Do Every Month— 

1. Fill all steering device oil cups. 

2. Change oil in engine oiling system. 

3. Change oil in transmission. 

4. Grease universal joints. 

5. Oil pedal support shaft. 

6. Oil brake levers and hangers. 

7. Fill rear-wheel bearings and grease-cups. 

8. Put grease in differential. 


92 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


CHAPTER XXIV 
What To Look For In Case of Trouble 

An Engine Won’t Run When— 

1. Out of gasoline. 

2. The switch is off. 

3. There is a short-circuit or loose wire in the ignition 
wiring. 

4. The valves or ignition are out of time. 

5. There is very poor compression. 

6. The gasoline feed pipe is stopped up. 

7. There is sediment in carburetor needle valve. 

8. The mixture is too lean. 

9. The mixture is too rich. 

10. It is too cold. 

11. Out of lubricating oil. 

12. Vibrator points are stuck. 

13. Bearings are swelled from overheating. 

When An Engine Misses Fire Look For— 

1. Fouled spark plug. 

2. Loose wire connections. 

3. Broken wires. 

4. Dirty distributor or commutator. 

5. Improper carburetor adjustment. 

6. Poor compression. 

7. Leaky or ill timed valves. 

8. Loose cylinder head, spark plugs, intake manifold. 

9. Too much lubricating oil. 

10. Water in gasoline. 

11. Partially clogged fuel pipe or needle valve. 

12. Improperly adjusted or rough vibrator points. 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


93 


An Engine May Run Yet Have Little Power Because of— 

1. Worn piston rings or cylinders. 

2. Leaky valves. 

3. Valves or ignition slightly out of time. 

4. Leaky cylinder head, spark plugs, priming cocks, 
intake manifold. 


5. 

Too rich mixture. 


6. 

Too lean mixture. 


7. 

Lack of lubricating oil. 


8. 

Bearings adjusted too tight. 


When An Engine Overheats Look For— 


1 . 

Lack of lubricating oil. 


2. 

Not enough water in cooling system. 


3. 

Leaky radiator or pipe connections. 


4. 

Clogged pipes. 


5. 

Scale formed on interior walls of cooling 

system. 

6. 

Engine operated with spark retarded too 

much. 

7. 

Dragging brakes. 


8. 

Bearings too tight. 


9. 

Broken fan belt. 


10. 

Radiator daubed with mud or covered with number 

plate. 



An Engine Knocks and Pounds Because of— 


1 . 

Loose bearings. 


2. 

Loose in car frame. 


3. 

Valve tappets improperly adjusted. 


4. 

Spark advanced too much on a hard pull. 


5. 

Accumulation of carbon. 


6 . 

Pre-ignition. 



Body Noises May Be Due to— 

1. Loose fenders. 

2. Uncoiled springs and shackle bolts. 


94 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


3. Unfastened hood. 

4. Loose radiator. 

5. Fan bent so it strikes radiator or some part of en- 

6. Loose dust pan. 

7. Loose brake bands and linkage. 

8. Poorly packed tool box. 

9. Tire chains adjusted so they hit fenders. 

10. Loose number plate. 

11. Loose steering knuckles and linkage. 

12. Shaky doors. 

13. Loose top supports. 

14. Loose windshield. 


INDEX 


Bearings— 

Adjustment _ 

Kinds _ 

Lubrication _ 

Brakes— 

Adjustment _ 

General discussion_ 

Lining __ 

Oiling_ 

Carburetors— 

Adjusting _ 

Principles of operation ___ 
Troubles__1_ 

Cleaning Cars— 

Body dressings _ 

Tops _ 

Use of soap_ : _ 

Washing __ 

Commutators— 

Cleaning _ 

Troubles _ 

Cooling Systems— 

Anti-freeze solutions _ 

Other troubles _ 

Clutches— 

Description _ 

Proper treatment _ 

Types _ 

Differentials— 

Principles of operation _ 

Care and lubrication _ 

Driving— 

Dimming lights_ 

Proper speed _ 

Turning corners _ 

Gasoline— 

Keeping down consumption 
Leaks in carburetor_ 

Gear Shifting— 

General discussion_ 

Rules for _ 

Ignition— 

Magnetos _ 

Sources of current _ 

Testing Batteries_ 

Induction Coils— 

Construction _ 

Troubles__ 

Lighting Systems— 

Batteries _ 

Generator _ 

Starting motor _ 

Wiring - 


Page 

44- 45 
44 

45- 48 


67-68 

65- 66 
67 

66- 67 


19- 20 
18-19 

20 - 21 


82-83 

83 

82 

82 


38 

38 


76-77 

76-77 


49 
51 

50 


59 

60 


9 

8 

8-9 


72-73 

20 


52 

52-58 


32-34 

31 

31 


35-36 

35-36 


61-64 

61 

61 

61 










































LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 


96 


HINES AUTOMOBILE BOOK 


033 26 


6 773 7 # 


Lubrication (Motor) — 

Cleaning systems _ 

Importance _— 

In summer_ 

Kind of oils to use- 

Over lubrication _ 

Various systems _-H 

Motors— 

Locating troubles___ 

Principles of operation _ 

Starting - 

Starting in winter_ 

Spark Coils— 

Construction _ 

Troubles _ 

Spark Plugs— 

Cleaning and adjusting_ 

Testing _ 

Troubles _._ 

Starting Systems— 

Batteries _ 

Generator _ 

Starting motor__ 

Wiring_ 

Storage Battery— 

Adding water_ 

Electrolyte, how to make_ 

General discussion_ 

Testing - 

Winter care _ 

Tires— 

Care in winter _ 

Discussion _ 

Rules for care___ 

Spare _ 

Vulcanizing_ 

T ools— 

For road use_ 

For shop use _ 

Vacuum Fuel Feeds— 

Ho wto clean _ 

Principles of operation_ 

Troubles and remedies_ 

Valves— 

Adjusting _ 

Grinding _ 

Timing _ 

Vibrators— 

Adjustment _ 

Master _ 

Sticking points _ 

Wiring— 

Broken or short-circuited_ 

Making connections_ 

Testing _1__ 


43 

40 

74-75 

43 

40 

41 


17 

15-17 

12 

77-78 


35-36 

35-36 


38-39 

37-39 

37 


61-64 

61 

61 

61 


62 

63 

61-62 

63-64 

77-78 


74-75 
.49 
70-71 
79 
49, 79 


80 

80-81 


24 

22-24 

24-26 


29 

27-28 

29-30 


36 

36 

35 


37-38 

39 

37 
























































































































